Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith has accepted the resignation of Housing New Zealand’s board chair Dr Alan Jackson to avoid a potential conflict of interest.

"Dr Jackson wrote to me earlier this week to let me know he would be stepping down as chair to avoid a potential conflict of interest with his role as a director at Fletcher Building,” Dr Smith says.

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today launched the $170 million 700 New Builds programme in Christchurch with Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee.

“This is the biggest Government house building programme in Christchurch’s history. It amounts to a new house being built every working day from now until the end of 2015. It will increase housing supply, provide hundreds of jobs and reinforce the momentum of the Government’s earthquake recovery effort,” Dr Smith says.

The Government is extending the funding for Family Violence Response Coordination (FVRC) says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

“We’ve decided to extend the funding for a further two years from 2013/14 to 2014/15 as existing funding of $2.8m per year was time-limited and due to end at the end of 2012/13,” says Mrs Bennett.

FVRC funds more than 30 local family violence networks, working with more than 1,000 local agencies to undertake family violence prevention activities.

Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced $16.4 million of grants to support six community housing providers to complete social housing developments in Auckland, Northland, Hamilton, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, and Canterbury.

The Government has committed $16 million over the next four years to continue the Ministry’s successful Historic Claims Resolution Process for those abused in care.

“It’s important we listen to those who experienced past abuse as children in state care, that we apologise and do what we can to put things right,” says Mrs Bennett.

To date more than 400 historic claims have been resolved.

A bill to create the right environment to support the growth of the social housing sector and ensure housing assistance is focused on those with the highest need passed its first reading in Parliament today.

“The Social Housing Reform (Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters Amendment) Bill facilitates the development of a more diverse range of community providers in the social housing sector. It does this by providing them with access to the income-related rent subsidy currently only available to Housing New Zealand,” Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith said.

A bill to urgently increase the supply of land and affordability of housing has passed its first reading 104 votes to 15 in Parliament tonight and has been sent to a select committee for urgent consideration.

“The Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Bill is the circuit breaker needed to get some real pace and momentum around addressing housing affordability issues, particularly for first home buyers,” Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith said.

All Housing New Zealand tenancies will be reviewed to ensure state housing is focused on people with the highest housing need, Housing Minister Nick Smith says.

“The Government will this year develop pathways for New Zealanders in social housing to regain independence and self-sufficiency as their individual circumstances permit and as alternatives allow,” he says.

“Reviewable tenancies, which currently apply to some tenants, will then be extended progressively to all social housing tenants.

Budget 2013 makes fundamental changes to the way the Government delivers housing assistance to those most in need, Housing Minister Nick Smith and Social Development Minister Paula Bennett say.

This includes extending income-related rent subsidies to community housing providers and integrating housing assessment with the Government’s wider social support services.

The Government is to develop a Housing Warrant of Fitness system and trial it on Housing New Zealand properties, Housing Minister Nick Smith says.

“There are real gains for the health, safety, and welfare of New Zealanders, particularly children and the elderly, from having a better standard of housing,” he says.

“This year, the Government is going to develop a Warrant of Fitness with the support of a Rental Housing Standards Forum.

Budget 2013 contains an ambitious and comprehensive package of measures aimed at making houses more affordable and improving access to social housing, Finance Minister Bill English and Housing Minister Nick Smith say.

Special legislation to enable councils and the Government to streamline new housing developments in areas where housing is least affordable will be introduced to Parliament today.

“Council decisions can affect the entire economy by increasing house prices, driving up rents, and putting increased pressure on family budgets,” Housing Minister Nick Smith says.

“Housing supply constraints are causing widespread concern about financial stability, with potentially negative impacts on interest rates and the exchange rate.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett announces new Families Commission Board appointments and acknowledges an outgoing member.

Sir Wira Gardiner and Dr Parmjeet Parmar have been appointed to two vacant positions on the Board of the Families Commission, while Christine Rankin ends her term as Board member at the end of this month.

“I welcome Sir Wira and Dr Parmar to the Board with full confidence they will make a valuable contribution to the Families Commission,” says Mrs Bennett.

Housing Minister Nick Smith today announced two initiatives which will result in the building of up to 3000 new state house bedrooms and 500 new homes.

Dr Smith said the first initiative is called Project 324&5 and is designed to convert three bedroom houses into four and five bedroom homes.

“Project 324&5 recognises that Housing New Zealand, and particularly Auckland, have an oversupply of three bedroom homes and a real shortage of larger ones,” Dr Smith said.

A market study into residential construction costs has been released today for public input by the Government.

“The costs of building a house in New Zealand are too high as identified by the Productivity Commission’s report. This issues paper and market study is about identifying why some house construction costs are as much as 30 per cent more expensive than Australia and how we can get costs down,” Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith said.

Commerce Minister Craig Foss said the issues paper is primarily focused on improving competition and productivity.

An Auckland Housing Accord has been agreed today by Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Auckland Mayor Len Brown to urgently increase the supply and affordability of housing in Auckland.

“This Accord will help deliver thousands of new homes for Auckland by streamlining the planning and consenting process and getting Government and Council working more closely together on housing development,” Dr Smith said.

The Government is supporting people on low incomes by investing more money into organisations providing budgeting advice and support.

“In recognition of the good work Budgeting Services do to help people manage their income, an extra $1.5 million has been allocated for 2013/14.”

It is essential that people on low incomes have the skills and knowledge to manage their budget without getting into debt or financial crisis.

This is where budgeting advice is vital.

The Government has announced the Kāinga Whenua infrastructure grant aimed at helping Māori Land Trusts and other collectives to develop housing on ancestral Māori land.

“I am pleased to announce that $12 million over the next four years will be made available to Māori organisations to assist with the infrastructure work required for new greenfields development on their ancestral land,” Associate Housing Minister Tariana Turia says.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is pleased with progress on MSD-led initiatives within the Prime Minister’s Youth Mental Health Project.

The Project aims to significantly improve the way the Government supports young people with mild to moderate mental health problems.

“MSD has contributed $12.2 million in funding over four years towards eight specific initiatives, all of which are progressing on-track or ahead of schedule,” Mrs Bennett said.

The settlement of Housing New Zealand’s insurance claim over 5559 damaged homes is a significant and welcome step in Canterbury’s recovery from the devastating earthquakes in 2010 and 2011, says Minister of Housing Dr Nick Smith.

“This $320 million settlement is the largest single insurance pay-out in New Zealand’s history. This is great news for thousands of Housing New Zealand’s tenants, for Canterbury’s economy and New Zealand taxpayers,” Dr Smith says.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is working with Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG) to discuss support for their members.

Minister Bennett has confirmed an extra $10 million will go to grandparents raising grandchildren and other carers in similar circumstances, as part of the White Paper for Vulnerable Children.

“I was delighted to invite the organisation to work with us providing advice on how best to allocate the extra funds through a Ministerial Reference Group.”

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has announced changes to the funding system for Out of School Care (OSCAR) programmes.

“After consultation with and advice from the sector, we’re improving funding so it’s fair and equitable and targeting priority communities for more services.”

The current ‘deficit-based’ funding system has created a perverse incentive as providers get more funding when operating at a loss which can encourage inefficient practise.

“It just didn’t make sense to continue that.”

Today's report on the housing pressures in Christchurch shows that the city faces ongoing challenges in meeting peoples' accommodation needs that will require ongoing Government intervention and assistance, says Minister of Housing Nick Smith.