Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today welcomed the Government’s decision to double the number of KiwiSaver deposit subsidies and treble the number of Welcome Home Loans to support first home buyers.

“This package is about helping thousands of kiwi families get into their first home by assisting them with a deposit and providing a guarantee for their mortgage,” Dr Smith says.

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today visited one of the last state houses in Auckland to be insulated under Housing New Zealand’s nationwide insulation programme.

“This three bedroom house for a family in Flat Bush in Manukau is one of the last to be made warmer and drier through Housing New Zealand’s programme to insulate every state house capable of being insulated by the end of this year,” Dr Smith says.

Taking a lead role for sexual violence services, Minister Bennett is working with a range of government agencies on a review of funding and services.

“The Government recognises the sector does incredibly important work for victims of sexual violence and needs funding certainty,” says Mrs Bennett.

The in-depth review into the sexual violence response sector will look at:

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today welcomed the Social Services Committee report on the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Bill and the refinement of the legislation to make it more workable.

A major funding boost to assist victims of sexual violence was announced today by the lead Minister for Sexual Violence Services Paula Bennett.

Funding will help the Auckland Sexual Abuse Help Foundation (HELP) provide a sexual violence crisis response in Auckland and Northern districts.

The funding of  $1,371,000 over three years will contribute towards a 24/7 telephone support service, a call out team of specialist trauma counsellors, an acute crisis counselling service and court preparation and support services.

Today the Rotorua Children’s Team begins working with children and families for the first time, says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

“Children’s Teams support communities to better protect their children.”

Central to the Children’s Action Plan (CAP), Children’s Teams work with vulnerable children and their families to ensure children are safe from abuse.

The first Children’s Team is made up of a group of Rotorua-based senior professionals representing health, education, welfare and social services.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett today announced funding to strengthen the social sector through the new Capability Investment Resource.

“This is the first round out of a total of $31.65 million in funding, aimed at building a stronger, adaptable and more integrated social sector

The first round of the Capability Investment Resource provides $1.7 million for 233 organisations to use for organisational capability self-assessments and/or planning with Capability Mentors.

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith leaves for Australia today with Housing New Zealand chief executive Glen Sowry to learn from their experience of growing the community social housing sector.

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today officially opened eight new affordable social housing units in Nelson, which will be rented to low and middle income families with high housing needs.

“Nelson’s housing costs are putting real pressure on lower income families and these new homes are affordable, good quality and centrally located. This initiative will make for eight happier, healthier and more secure families,” Dr Smith says.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett announces the appointment of Belinda Milnes as Chief Families Commissioner.

“Ms Milnes is well positioned to lead the Families Commission, having been interim Chief Commissioner since February this year.”

An independent panel said Ms Milnes had demonstrated good judgement in her current role and has a broad knowledge of the Commission’s role and direction as well as the current legislative changes.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett welcomes the Ministry of Social Development’s Household Incomes Report for the 2011 calendar year.

“This provides a candid snapshot of how New Zealanders were doing financially in 2011,” says Mrs Bennett.

The report shows incomes increased as New Zealand recovered from the Global Financial Crisis and work increased on the Christchurch rebuild.

The latest quarterly benefit figures released include both the new categories effective from July 15 and the old categories for comparison.

“We’re continuing with a transparent approach to reporting benefit numbers as we said we would,” says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

“There are currently 309,782 people on benefits in New Zealand, a reduction from 310,146 the previous quarter and down from 320,041 the year prior.”

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says from tomorrow New Zealand’s welfare system will be fundamentally different.

“The welfare system will look and feel very different, with new expectations and obligations and a much stronger work focus,” says Mrs Bennett.

“The investment approach will allow us to provide more individualised support to people, with a particular focus on those at risk of long-term dependence.”

From tomorrow the DPB, Unemployment and Sickness Benefits won’t exist.

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Associate Housing Minister Tariana Turia today welcomed the blessing and naming ceremony for a family-style social housing unit for kaumatua in Flaxmere.

“The Kaumatua Whare has been designed to provide affordable rental accommodation for kaumatua on low incomes in response to a shortage of appropriate housing for kaumatua in Flaxmere,” Mrs Turia says.

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today welcomed the second reading of a bill to clarify and simplify some parts of the law around bodies corporate and unit owners.

“The Unit Titles Amendment Bill makes a number of amendments to the Act that will benefit prospective buyers, unit owners and bodies corporate. It affects about 100,000 people today but the growth of apartment living is likely to cover half a million people within 50 years,” Dr Smith says.

Comprehensive changes to the welfare system are already proving successful, with increasing numbers of people moving off benefit and into work, Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says.

Result 1: Reduce the number of people who have been on a working age benefit for more than 12 months

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett today announced Croatians will no longer need a visa to travel to New Zealand for a short visit.

Mrs Bennett made the announcement while in Croatia advancing discussions on a Social Security Agreement between New Zealand and Croatia.

“The visa waiver will make it easier for business visitors to come to New Zealand which will help further develop trade ties,” says Mrs Bennett.

“It will also mean a lot to Croatians visiting their Kiwi-Croatian relatives.”

The number of first home buyers using KiwiSaver to get onto the first rung of the property ladder has increased seven fold over the past two years, Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Revenue Minister Todd McClay announced today on KiwiSaver’s sixth birthday.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett leaves tonight for Ireland and Europe to meet Ministerial counterparts, visit community organisations and advance Social Security Agreements.

In Europe we have an opportunity to advance and conclude bilateral Social Security Agreements with Croatia and Malta.

In Croatia, Minister Bennett intends to advance discussions on the signing of a Social Security Agreement which would allow pension portability for nationals of both Croatia and New Zealand.

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced that the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust will receive a $1 million grant from the Social Housing Fund to build 10 community social housing units in Arrowtown.

“The grant means the trust will be able to provide 10 social housing units and provide an additional 28 bedrooms to families most in need. The total value of the development is $3.6 million,” Dr Smith said.

The draft strategic framework for the housing-led regeneration of Tāmaki has today been released for public feedback by Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith, Auckland Mayor Len Brown and the Tāmaki Redevelopment Company.

The Government has concluded an agreement with Workotel to provide accommodation for an additional 50 rebuild workers at the former Riccarton Holiday Park, Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

“Christchurch is going to require temporary accommodation villages to accommodate thousands of additional workers needed for the rebuild. If we don’t provide this sort of temporary housing we risk slowing the recovery through a shortage of workers or putting too much pressure on the already constrained housing market,” Dr Smith says.

Land owners interested in building and/or renovating homes on Maori land are gathering at the Wellington Town Hall today to discuss how the Government can help at a one-day Maori housing seminar.

Associate Minister of Housing Tariana Turia says the Government has a number of new initiatives that will help Maori achieve their housing aspirations.

“This seminar will inform Maori land owners about the different types of support that the government is offering them,” says Mrs Turia.

These include: