A National-led government would reform Kāinga Ora, increase the number of funded social housing places and would work more closely with community housing providers if elected next month, the party announced this morning.
The party also pledged to end the use of emergency housing motels in Rotorua within two years.
National's housing spokesperson Chris Bishop said the plan to deliver better social housing compliments already-announced policies.
"We have already announced our plans to rebalance the private rental market to put downward pressure on rents, through restoring interest deductibility for rental properties, taking the Brightline test to two years, and sensible changes to tenancy laws," he said.
"National has also announced our Going for Housing Growth policy, a comprehensive programme of work to unlock land in and at the edge of our cities, build infrastructure for more houses, and incentivise communities that go for housing growth."
He was critical of Labour, saying the Government has "catastrophically failed in housing".
"Labour talked big about housing in 2017 but since they came to office, rents are up $175 per week, the social housing waitlist has increased by almost 20,000 families, nearly 500 families live in cars, and the Government has spent $1.4 billion housing people in emergency housing motels," Bishop said.
National's social housing spokesperson Tama Potaka said the party would increase the number of social housing places funded by government and will work much more closely with Community Housing Providers (CHPs) and other providers.
"CHPs have been marginalised by a Labour government more interested in building the giant bureaucratic monolithic monopoly that is Kāinga Ora. CHPs tend to be more nimble, more agile and provide better services to tenants," he said.
"They are a vital part of the solution to our housing crisis."
Bishop also said National was determined to end the use of emergency housing motels, with a focus on ending motel use in Rotorua within two years.
Rotorua MP Todd McClay said that Labour had given up on one of New Zealand's premier tourist destinations.
"It's time that Rotorua residents got their town back," he said. "National will rebuild and restore Rotorua's reputation as a great place to live and as a high-quality destination for domestic and international visitors.
"Labour has put emergency housing and Rotorua in the too hard basket."
If elected, National would tighten eligibility criteria for emergency motels and establish a "Priority One" category that would put families who have been in emergency housing for more than 12 weeks at the front of the queue for social housing, the party said.
It would also establish a "Social Impact Bond" to partner with providers who can shift families out of emergency housing, today's announcement said. The party also pledged to build more social houses and to require families receiving emergency housing grants to use those grants in the area they are currently living, "unless there is a good reason not to".
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