The Māori candidates campaigning to win the Manurewa general seat believe they each have the answer to end homelessness in their suburb.
Two homeless people were found dead in Manurewa in July.
72,000 people live in Manurewa and 41,000 are eligible to vote.
Labour Party’s Louisa Wall (incumbent), Green Party’s Teanau Tuiono, John Hall from NZ First, Māori Party’s Tasha Hohaia and Elliot Ikilei from the Conservative Party spoke to Kawekōrero Reporters.
Wall says, “We will build 100,000 homes over ten years. So 10,000 more every year. In addition a thousand state houses to actually meet the demand.”
Tuiono of the Greens says, “We are into supporting the building of new homes but we opposed the selloff of state houses as well.”
He says, “He also want to increase controls of rent rises as well because we know a lot of our whānau don’t have control over their rentals.”
Hall of NZ First says, “The buildings are already there. There’s no excuses.”
“New Zealand people who want to buy their first home, we are prepared to give them an interest of 2% loan on a section, so they can build their new home supported by the bank.”
Tasha of the Māori Party says, “We are committed to seeing 60,000 built in two years just in Auckland – in specific targeted areas.”
Ikilei of the Conservative Party says, “What you should be doing is buying a whole bunch of camp stretchers, some toiletries and then going round to the different community halls, the marae, the churches and having a rotating shift so you could have a place to sleep at night.”
Currently, there are more than 40,000 homeless people in New Zealand.