Clayton Mitchell New Zealand First MP

Over the last six years, the housing market has boomed due to a major influx of people into New Zealand.

Auckland, by default, has suffered most from rapid population growth, which has manifested into traffic congestion and a lack of availability of affordable housing.

The effects have spread to other regions, including Tauranga, which has copped it the worst.

Tauranga is now more unaffordable than Auckland (according to a recent study based on Statistics NZ 2017 data), comparing income to cost of living.

The boom in the market warranted high demand, high prices and low affordability. Families were placed in motels and caravan parks, while the ones who missed out are sleeping in cars in parks and rest stops.

Families, where both parents work full time, could not afford the exorbitant rents and were left desperate and homeless.

This is not the New Zealand I grew up in.

Fixing the housing crisis is a priority for our government.

That is why the NZ First/Labour-led government is working hard to increase the public housing stock to help resolve the issue.

The process is underway to purchase the land in key areas around New Zealand, including Tauranga, in order to build the necessary houses that are needed to support vulnerable and low-income families.

It is important that everyone in New Zealand is safe, warm and protected and housing is a major part of that.

And with the emergency housing project on Opal Drive more than halfway through, the most vulnerable families will be able to gain some stability.