The Government must introduce a Warrant of Fitness for all houses in New Zealand, starting with state houses, following the release of a coroner’s report which linked the death of an Auckland toddler to the living conditions in her family’s Housing New Zealand home, the Green Party said today.

“A Housing Warrant of Fitness needs to be urgently introduced by the Government. This young girl’s tragic death shows what can happen if we continue to do nothing about the cold, damp and shoddy homes many Kiwis are forced to live in, particularly our state houses,” said Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei.

“Regardless of the Government’s plans to sell off state houses into the future, John Key, Paula Bennett and Nick Smith need to urgently address the quality of housing that the Government provides.

“Our most vulnerable people are living in houses that are not fit for humans.

“National knows this and yet they’ve done nothing to improve the quality of state housing on offer.

“This coroner’s report must be a call to action.

“The Government announced last year it was trialling a state housing WoF. The Government needs to release the results of that trial immediately.

“We know what’s needed: the introduction of WoF regulations across the entire rental market.

“No New Zealander should be living in a house that makes them sick.

“The million or so New Zealanders who rent deserve minimum guaranteed warmth and energy-efficiency standards in their homes,” said Mrs Turei.