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The National Party promises to sell state houses if it wins the 2020 election, but only to tenants who already live in the houses.
The party’s housing policy, released Monday, says state housing tenants who have a “good record” should be able to buy their homes.
They could buy the houses using a rent-to-own or shared-equity scheme. The plan would be similar to the one led by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.
Publishing the policy in Auckland, national leader Judith Collins said that home ownership was part of the social fabric of New Zealand.
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Chris McKeen / Stuff
National leader Judith Collins announces National’s state housing plan in Auckland.
“It helps provide financial security to individuals, helps families build roots in their communities, and provides parents a valuable asset to pass on to their children,” Collins said.
Collins, who will travel to Christchurch on Tuesday for the press leaders’ debate, said National’s track record of rebuilding Christchurch was a good example of what it could do to resolve the housing crisis.
In the wake of the Christchurch earthquakes, the National Government opened vast tracts of land around the city for development by requiring 30 years of planned housing growth to be allowed.
Collins said this strategy could be applied nationally to solve the housing affordability crisis.
He said he would pass emergency legislation within 100 days of the government’s formation to require all councils to immediately open 30 years of growth for urban development and establish an expedited consent process.
“This approach will improve the affordability of housing. It will mean that your children will have the same opportunity that you had to buy your own home to raise their own families, ”Collins said.
Other parts of National’s housing policy have been signaled quite well, notably the commitment to eliminate the Resource Management Act (RMA) and replace it with new planning legislation.
National also promises to allow building materials approved in other countries to be automatically approved for use in New Zealand to expedite consent here.
The party said it would also seek to centralize the building’s consent process, though it has not committed to it.
“It doesn’t make sense that local authorities are operating 67 different construction consent processes,” National said.
Some consents could be privatized under National, allowing “licensed private operators” to consent to developments and issue code compliance.
Private operators will be personally responsible for the work and must have indemnity insurance.
Collins also recommitted National to other housing promises it has made this period.
National will roll back Labor’s extension of the bright line test, taking it from five years to two.
The bright line test is an effective capital gains tax on investment property, forcing people to pay capital gains taxes if they sell the home within five years.
The party will also repeal protection for rental losses.
