Kāinga Ora workforce faces significant reduction.
The New Zealand Government has proposed a major overhaul of Kāinga Ora, leading to the potential loss of 1,213 jobs, roughly one-third of the housing agency's workforce. This move comes as no surprise for Labour Party spokesperson Kieran McAnulty, who claims that public housing is not a priority for the current administration.
According to McAnulty, frontline workers who assist with tenant placement, call centre staff, and other employees helping resolve tenant issues will be among those affected by the cuts. He argues that this decision demonstrates the Government's lack of concern for providing homes for Kiwis in need, as there is no commitment to allocate saved funds towards increasing housing supply.
This move has been met with criticism from Labour, who points out that National Party's plans do not include using any potential savings from job cuts to fund additional housing. The opposition party claims that if their own policies were implemented, the public housing waiting list would be nearly non-existent.