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More transitional housing is coming online every week across New Zealand, helping more vulnerable families in urgent need of housing.

“We’ve made a commitment to help New Zealanders find their feet in tough times, and our transitional housing places do just that,” Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

The Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment (AODT) Court pilot has been extended for a further three years, Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams announced today.

The AODT Court pilot, which began in November 2012 in the Waitakere and Auckland District Courts, aims to help reduce alcohol and drug use, reoffending and imprisonment. It identifies offenders whose alcohol and other drug dependency is behind a pattern of serious offending and diverts them from prison into treatment under the close supervision of the Court.

Hundreds of families in the Hawkes Bay will be helped through the Government’s social housing plans for the region, Ministers say.

“We’ve made a commitment to help New Zealanders find their feet when times are tough, and our plans for the Hawkes Bay will do just that,” Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

Plans for 195 social housing places and 129 short-term transitional housing places will benefit around 711 local families a year.

Drink driving charges have halved since 2009, says Justice Minister Amy Adams.

Latest drink driving offence figures show the number of people charged in 2016 was 16,304 compared to 31,933 in 2009.

“Almost 16,000 fewer people were charged with drink driving offences in 2016 compared to 2009. That’s a 49 per cent decrease in seven years, reflecting a better understanding by New Zealanders of the dangers of drink driving,” says Ms Adams.

The $7 million redevelopment of Jebson Place means warmer and safer houses for the Hamilton community, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams announced today.

Work will begin later this year to build up to 71 brand new homes at the Jebson Place site in Hamilton East.

Housing New Zealand will invest around $7 million to build and retain at least 26 new homes as social housing, with the remaining 45 houses being developed by Waikato-Tainui.

New guides to support the family violence sector to provide consistent and effective help to victims and perpetrators are being launched today by Justice Minister Amy Adams and Social Development Minister Anne Tolley at the Family Violence Summit in Wellington.

Over 120 key players in the family violence sector are attending the Summit today to build on conversations to date about how to work together better to tackle New Zealand’s horrific rate of family violence.

Tēnā koutou katoa me ngā tini āhuatanga o te wā. Nau mai, haere mai.

Good morning.

Thank you Prime Minister for your opening comments, and thank you Sir Wira for taking on the role of Summit Chair.

I also want to give special acknowledgement to our four keynote speakers who will help set the tone for what I hope will be some incisive discussion today.

And thank you all for being here and for the contributions you make every day to help ensure that New Zealanders are living safer and happier lives.

Almost 220 new social and transitional places are on the way for Tauranga and Papamoa, the Government has today confirmed.

“We’re on track to have 68 short term transitional housing places available in Tauranga and Papamoa by the end of the year. This will mean we can support up to 272 families in Tauranga and Papamoa every year while long term solutions are found,” says Ms Adams.

“Of those 68 places, 21 places are already open.

A new $12 million transitional housing complex on Puhinui Road in Auckland will help house up to 560 families a year, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams has announced.

The 72-unit building is part of the Government’s $354 million support to help 8600 families every year with transitional housing – 3660 of which will be in Auckland.

New Zealand’s biggest housing development at Hobsonville Point has marked its 1000th new home, Social Housing and Housing New Zealand Minister Amy Adams announced today.

Ms Adams was in Hobsonville Point today with Upper Harbour MP Paula Bennett to welcome the proud new owners of the 1000th house.

In the next three years, 12,000 new houses will be built across Auckland as the first stage of the Government’s Crown Building Project gets underway, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

These houses are part of the Government’s 34,000 new houses for Auckland to be built in the next ten years, announced by Ms Adams last month.

Former Secretary for Justice Belinda Clark has been appointed as Law Commissioner, Justice Minister Amy Adams announced today.

“Ms Clark brings a wealth of experience, having worked at the highest levels of the public service both here and across the Tasman,” Ms Adams says.

Budget 2017 will provide an extra $46.9 million of operating funding over the next four years for new services to reduce burglary and youth offending, Justice Minister Amy Adams and Associate Justice Minister Mark Mitchell say.

The funding is part of the Government’s Social Investment Package of $321 million over four years in Budget 2017.

“A new initiative to boost our Government’s efforts to prevent and reduce the number of burglaries will receive $32.9 million,” Ms Adams says.

Budget 2017 invests $37.2 million of operating funding to reduce the harm caused by family violence, Justice Minister Amy Adams and Social Development Minister Anne Tolley say.

$22.4 million will extend the Integrated Safety Response (ISR) pilots for another two years.

Budget 2017 will invest an extra $224 million over four years in mental health services including $124 million in new innovative approaches, Social Investment Minister Amy Adams and Health Minister Jonathan Coleman say.

“Mental health is a social investment priority for this Government. It’s one of our most complex social issues, and it is having big impacts across the employment, housing, health and justice sectors,” Ms Adams says.

Budget 2017 will include $100 million in new capital funding to allow vacant or under-utilised Crown land to be freed up for additional housing developments, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

“The Government has committed to building 34,000 new houses in Auckland over the next 10 years and the Crown Land Development Programme is contributing land for 2700 of those houses,” Ms Adams says.

Budget 2017 will provide $185 million of new operating over the next four years and $20 million of capital for housing support for New Zealanders in need, in addition to the Accommodation Supplement changes contained within the Family Incomes Package, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

“The National-led Government is providing extensive housing support to less well-off households every day. This year, we will spend $2.3 billion supporting 310,000 households with accommodation in one way or another,” Ms Adams says.

Budget 2017’s $321 million Social Investment Package will be targeted at improving the lives of some of our most vulnerable people, Social Investment Minister Amy Adams says.

“From reducing youth offending to contraceptive access for low income women, these are 14 high-quality social investment initiatives that evidence shows will help make a difference in the lives of their target group,” Ms Adams says.

Budget 2017 invests $1.24 billion of new operating funding over four years and $785.6 million of capital funding in law and order initiatives to help make our communities safer, Police Minister Paula Bennett, Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams, and Corrections Minister Louise Upston say.

“The extra investment in Budget 2017 includes the $503.8 million Safer Communities Package which was announced earlier this year and will deliver an additional 1,125 police staff,” Mrs Bennett says.

The Government will be advising social service providers that their new contracts will not require the collection of individual client level data until a new data protection and use policy is in place, say Social Investment Minister Amy Adams and Minister for Children Anne Tolley.

“Our Social Investment approach is about intervening earlier to help change lives for the better. We want to be working alongside providers on ways data sources can help ensure our most vulnerable New Zealanders are getting access to the services that they need,” Ms Adams says.

The construction of 100 new homes on land formerly set aside by NZTA for roading can now begin, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams announced today at the sod-turning in New North Road Mt Albert.

In October 2016 the Government signed an agreement with Marutūāhu Rōpū and Ockham Residential Limited for the development as part of the move to repurpose vacant land for new houses in Auckland.

Thank you Ashley Church and can I thank the Property Institute for hosting this event.  I would also like to acknowledge:

• Adrienne Young-Cooper, Board Chair of Housing NZ
• Andrew McKenzie, Chief Executive of HNZ
• Chris Aiken, Chief Executive of HLC

I would like to thank you all for being here today and for your on-going interest in the important subject of housing in Auckland.

The Government today has announced a Crown land and building programme that will see tens of thousands of new houses built in Auckland over the next decade.

Social Housing Minister Amy Adams announced that the Government’s Crown Building Project will replace 8300 old, rundown houses in Auckland with 34,000 brand new purpose-built houses over 10 years. 24,300 of these will be built by Housing New Zealand through their Auckland Housing Programme.

Over the next ten years, the Crown Building Project will deliver around:

The Government has secured 870 transitional places providing housing for 3480 households a year for around 10,000 New Zealanders in need of warm and safe housing, with a further 728 places a year set to be available by winter, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

“With winter approaching, the demand for warm, safe housing will peak. We are focused on having a significant number of housing places available for those who need it,” says Ms Adams.