Quote Originally Posted by neopoleII View Post
i am sick to death of my taxes going to landlords via housing suppliments, and these landlords collecting tax loses and "depreciation" and then selling for cap gains and the ird is sitting on its thumbs.

if......... (which wont happen).... there was no housing suppliments, a house in mangere east or otara, would not be worth what they are today, and the low incomers could then afford to own.
imho, working for families and housing suppliments have created a class of property millionaires at the expence of low incomers and tax payers.
But not sick at all to see them go to those (barring genuine cases) who don't wish to get off their bums and earn an honest wage. It is these "benefit is birthright" people who make a mockery of the benefit system which was a noble socialistic idea of providing social security to people who deserved it. Where community cared and provided a helping hand. Now that helping hand has become "a right", and has a consequence for those who genuinely deserve help (like superannuitants to name just one demographic).

It is not just accomodation supplement that gets paid out of tax dollars, but also the cost to feed their whole families, clothe them, provide (free) electricity, and phones, subsidised medical care and medication, free education, social amenities, even free facilities in jail if some of them end in jail. The landlord has to chase the tenants for rent, pay the bill for water and damages, spend money to find their wherabouts when they do runners, pay court costs, get orders and still end up with a payment of $5 a week for life, if he is lucky.

Contrast this with how much Housing NZ spends each year just on repairs of its housing stock. Who pays? the taxpayer. Not all landlords have taken into account their risks professionally, and not all beneficiary tenants are bad. But you only need one to blow your retirement, beneficiary or non-beneficiary. One must beware what one wishes for, lest one get it. landlords provide a vital social service, and I for one, am grateful.