Catholic Archbishop of Wellington, Cardinal John Dew and Anglican Bishop of Wellington Justin Duckworth will co-host a housing forum with leaders of key political parties
on 9 August at the Anglican Cathedral.
Attendance is welcome and there is no charge.
The forum formally starts at 6:30pm on 9 August 2017, with snacks and drinks available from 5:45pm and the Wellington Community Choir at 6:15pm. The venue is the Anglican Cathedral of St Paul, corner of Molesworth St and John St.
Political Party spokespeople attending the forum will include National’s Alfred Ngaro, the Labour party’s Phil Twyford, Green party co-leader, Metiria Turei, Ron Mark of NZ First, United Future’s Roger Ellis and Jenny Condi of The Opportunities Party.
With less than two months until our country’s general election, home affordability is one of the main issues being kicked around the political football field, yet all the while reaching crisis level. Stories of families unable to afford a home or struggling to pay rent while others sleep in cars, motels and overcrowded accommodation have become all too common.
Cardinal John states, “Excessive rents and inflated house prices are leaving families homeless and young couples despondent. Without effective policies to support regional and provincial economic development and employment, many New Zealanders are paying a high price, which will affect generations to come.”
Reinforcing this message, Bishop Justin recently called churches in his Diocese to a month of prayer and action on the housing crisis. This election forum will come during this period.
The forum will provide an opportunity for members of the community to join the Cardinal and Bishop to hear community stories of those affected, discuss Christian perspectives and action on tackling the housing crisis. Those attending can hear directly from political parties on how they intend to address the housing crisis.
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