The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent.
"The everyday struggle for renters is worse than ever, and we are paying through the roof to live in houses that make us sick," says the Green Party's Housing Spokesperson Tamatha Paul.
"Successive governments have allowed the rental market to tilt further and further in favour of landlords - until this imbalance is addressed, many renters will remain locked in poverty.
"Rapid rent increases are the biggest driver of inflation, and the Government appears indifferent to how this affects the most vulnerable households during a cost of living crisis.
"Many rental homes are cold and damp, mould is all too common, and landlords often do the bare minimum when installing heating. To make things worse, the Government announced yesterday that it plans to roll back standards designed to increase insulation in new builds.
"People are forced to make an impossible choice between what they can afford, and living in a warm, safe and dry home. Many resort to cutting essentials like food and heating to afford their rent.
"What's more, renters are afraid to ask landlords or property managers to fix problems like mould, leaks or the lack of fire alarms for fear they'll be kicked out or have their rent hiked.
"The Government has given $2.9 billion in tax cuts to landlords, and has bent over backwards to their interests, entrenching the power imbalance that leads to families living in unhealthy homes.
"This is why the Greens are calling for rent controls which will limit the amount that landlords can increase rent and how often they can do this. We also need a Rental Warrant of Fitness to ensure quality, and for the Government to commit to building more public housing to make sure that we have enough affordable homes for everyone.
"Housing is a human right. Everyone deserves a warm, affordable and healthy home," says Tamatha Paul.
