Housing New Zealand will spend $2 billion to build and buy more than 4000 new state houses after an apparent Government backtrack. At least 3200 of those properties will be in Auckland, the state housing corporation confirmed today. Labour's finance spokesman Grant Robertson said the new building programme was a concession that the Government's state housing policy had failed. The Government is transferring up to 2000 Housing New Zealand properties to non-government providers, beginning in Tauranga. He urged the Government to abandon its policy to sell thousands of state houses.

Source: New Zealand Herald July 11, 2016 22:41 UTC