The Prime Minister is standing by a statement that New Zealand has no night shelters – after Labour used the remark to accuse him of being "out of touch" with the reality facing homeless New Zealanders.
Luxon was today pressed by the Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick over suggestions of rising homelessness and rough sleeping.
"We don't have night shelters in New Zealand," Luxon told the House. "We don't think the evidence works where someone shows up for one day and moves on."
He said the Government instead had helped to support "a 35-bed service that actually is available, where people can get plugged into proper social support services".
Luxon pointed out the Greens co-leader Marama Davidson held responsibility for homelessness reduction in the previous Labour government.
"I think it's pretty rich from that side, where you had a Green minister for homelessness, and it went up," he said, before being interrupted by Speaker Gerry Brownlee.
A stabbing in the CBD on Friday highlighted safety concerns in the city. (Source: 1News)
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister later issued further comment to the answer Luxon gave in Parliament.
It said the "longstanding position" of the Ministry Housing and Urban Development – now part of the Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport or MCERT from today – was "not to fund typical night shelter services".
"The ministry does not regard this support as an effective way of reducing homelessness as there is not a clear exit pathway to suitable long-term accommodation."
Instead, the spokesperson said, the Government funded services such as transitional housing — including the 35-bed immediate access pilot in Auckland referenced in Luxon's answer, which were accessible at night — as well as Housing First and Rapid Rehousing, which provided wraparound support alongside accommodation.
The exchange comes amid scrutiny of the Government's approach to homelessness following new move-on order legislation and a Q+A report of emergency housing policy.
Responding to Luxon today, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said the comments showed a pattern of getting facts wrong, going beyond a "slip of the tongue".
"It is evidence of a Prime Minister who simply hasn't bothered to understand homelessness or the people living through it," McAnulty said in a statement.
"Christopher Luxon didn't know Auckland had no night shelter. Today, he stood in Parliament and falsely claimed there are no night shelters anywhere in New Zealand."
McAnulty added Luxon's comments about "night shelters show a Prime Minister who is completely out of touch with the reality facing homeless New Zealanders".
PM 'refusing to look' – McAnulty
McAnulty said the Government was making the homelessness situation worse.
"They've cut housing programmes, stripped away support and made it harder for families to keep a roof over their heads. You cannot solve a problem you don't understand, and you can't understand it if you're refusing to look," McAnulty claimed.
Housing Minister says the new approach is about building the right homes in the right place. (Source: 1News)
Luxon said on Monday that he had not personally known that Auckland had no overnight shelter for rough sleepers.
During today's Question Time in Parliament, the PM defended the Government's record against attacks from opposition leader Chris Hipkins, who accused ministers of driving homelessness "to the highest level ever recorded in New Zealand".
Luxon fired back at the assertions.
"When he was in power, homelessness went up 37% despite spending a billion dollars. We all saw a tremendously tragic situation of families living in squalid motel conditions, riven by crime, and I would put our record of housing up against his," he said.
"Housing is more affordable, rents are down, and the social housing wait list is down.
"We have got 2400 families out of motels, and we are lowering our homelessness, as evidenced by the Auckland Council count from September to this month."
As the Government hails a sharp drop in emergency housing, charities warn the people locked out are ending up on the street. (Source: Q and A)
On Sunday, Q+A reported that Social Development Ministry managers are being individually assessed on whether they keep emergency housing numbers down.
Managers were told they could face consequences if their performance across their KPIs does not meet expectations. It's a system Labour leader Chris Hipkins vowed on Tuesday to scrap, calling it "morally and ethically bankrupt".
Auckland City Missioner Helen Robinson told Q+A the metrics meant "decision makers are incentivised to say no", warning those denied grants had little choice but to sleep rough. "I have never seen this scale of homelessness in my 13 years," she said.
MSD group client general manager of client service delivery Graham Allpress has since told 1News this year's letters of expectation to managers were "currently being reviewed to ensure they are up to date".
Meanwhile under proposed new laws, police would have powers to issue "move on orders" to those displaying disorderly, disruptive, threatening or intimidating behaviour; obstructing or impeding someone entering a business; and those breaching the peace.
The orders could also be issued for all forms of begging, rough sleeping, and behaviour "indicating an intent to inhabit a public place".
— additional reporting by Senior Political Reporter Benedict Collins
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