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RNZ News
4 hours ago
- Business
- RNZ News
'It would be foolish to be relying on a council valuation'
The CVs for Auckland's 630,000 homes have decreased by an average of 9 percent. File photo. Photo: 123rf Keep calm and carry on - that is the message for Auckland homeowners after many found out the new council valuations (CV) for their properties today. The CVs for Auckland's 630,000 homes have decreased by an average of 9 percent, alongside an average rates increase of 5.8 percent. Property experts say the drop is unnerving and a tough pill to swallow for many - especially after the highs of 2021 - but that the CV is just a taxation tool and homeowners should not let it influence their decisions. Waiheke Island resident Amanda Wright said the value of her home had dropped $50,000 - down from $1,150,000 to $1,100,000 - about a 4.5 percent decrease. "I don't like that it's gone down, but I thought it would have gone down more, so I'm happy that it's not gone down that much," she said. "But it is a worry. There's that underscore of worry that the valuation's not going to come back up. It's stressful, but I think it's going to be okay." Others had seen a much sharper decline in their valuations, with the council delivering more muted figures after the last round in 2021 when the market was considered to be at a peak. Homeowners and Buyers Association of NZ president John Gray said there was no reason to panic. "People shouldn't be disappointed that their ratings valuations have decreased because it is a taxation tool," he said. "It does not reflect the value of the property insofar as its amenity or condition." Gray said his own home had its CV lowered by a whopping $250,000. To him that was good news. "I'm very happy with that because that's - as I said - a rating tool, so my rates should be less... Well, I mean, obviously Auckland Council is increasing the rates, but in terms of the CV being used as the primary factor in calculating the rates that I will pay, that is reduced," he explained. Property Investors Federation spokesperson Matt Ball said he was not worried about the valuations for his two properties, and expected most investors and landlords to feel the same. "It's only really going to have an impact if you're selling right now. If you are, like most property investors, a buy and hold investor, then you'll be thinking long term," he said. "You'll navigate probably several property cycles throughout your investment career, and this sort of thing really doesn't concern you that much." But Wright said her valuation had given her pause. "Before perhaps the pandemic we were feeling optimistic about our investment and our intention to renovate and possibly sell at some point," she said. "But now it feels, 'oh gosh, have we overcapitalised?' You know, we're a bit more nervous." Wright said she was reconsidering plans to renovate her home, but Gray said homeowners should not let their CV influence their decisions. "It would be foolish to be relying on a council valuation to make any decisions about the value of a property, whether it be for the purposes of doing renovations or building a new home on the site," he said. "Because if you were going to get a mortgage, the banks would want a registered valuation from a qualified valuer." Ball said house prices were ultimately set by the market, and a council valuation could only have so much impact. "I think with these CVs, it might set a bit of a price in a buyer's mind. But really, if you're selling your house, the price will still be what that buyer is willing to pay," he said. "So no, I don't think this really is going to affect the market. The market is probably moving ahead of where the CVs are." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Housing advocates warn public encampment ban carries risks for Louisiana
A relocation notice is posted in front of a makeshift shelter at the Earhart Boulevard homeless encampment Jan. 13, 2025. Those living near the corridor were take to a state-operated transitional center in Gentilly. (John Gray/Verite News) A bill requiring local governments to enforce a ban on sleeping on public property passed through a Louisiana legislative committee Wednesday within the hearing's final minutes, though housing advocates and groups that serve the homeless say it remains problematic in its current form. The proposal, House Bill 619 by Rep. Alonzo Knox, D-New Orleans, would direct local governments to enforce a ban on 'public camping' or face possible lawsuits. Local governments could instead designate government-sanctioned encampments – much like the recent state-operated 'Transition Center' in New Orleans – in areas where they wouldn't 'materially affect the property value' of homes or businesses. Any resident or business within 1,000 feet of an illegal public camp, as well as a local district attorney, would be able to sue local governments if they failed to enforce the ban. Knox's bill also requires homeless service providers who receive state funds to provide detailed documentation of their work to municipalities upon request or else lose their funding. Unity of Greater New Orleans, the leading nonprofit serving the city's homeless population, has drawn scrutiny from Knox and others for not providing more specific data on how it spends federal dollars. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Knox has repeatedly accused housing nonprofits of waste and decried the 'homeless industrial complex.' He pushed for the legislative audit of New Orleans' Continuum of Care providers earlier this year. It found that the city and Unity spent $216 million between 2019-24, with the majority of funds going toward permanent supportive housing. The audit also found that shelters need better oversight to ensure they're meeting minimum health and safety standards. When Knox's measure was brought up Wednesday in the House Committee on Health and Welfare, it was after hearings on two other bills spanned more than three hours. Chairman Rep. Dustin Miller, D-Opelousas, noted that 11 people wanted to speak against Knox's bill but wouldn't have time because the House had already convened on the floor. Committee members were given the option to defer Knox's bill until next week but chose instead to continue the meeting. With limited time, Miller limited the opposition to just three speakers. Two attendees who've experienced homelessness were among those who didn't have the chance to speak. Knox agreed to amendments suggested by Rep Chris Turner, R-Ruston, which included changes in how the bill defines dwelling structures and extended the timeline for encampment clearing notices. Committee members suggested that the amendments should remove opposition to the bill. But opponents said the amendments did not allay their concerns, and in some cases even increased the risk of harm. The state-sanctioned encampments proposed in Knox's bill parallel Gov. Jeff Landry's recent transition center in New Orleans, set up at a warehouse in a remote industrial section of the city. Unsheltered people were taken there from encampments downtown just before the Super Bowl. Knox toured and praised the site while it was open, but his bill has sparked questions about how money for housing can be spent most efficiently. Landry's transition center, which cost about $17 million, ultimately placed 108 people in permanent supportive housing. Since 2023, Unity of Greater New Orleans has spent $2.3 million to permanently house 275 people, according to the audit. The state spent about $100,000 per person on the warehouse site over 10 weeks, compared to the $20,000 per year it costs to provide housing and support services per person, said Angela Owczarek with the Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative, a housing rights advocacy. A pandemic-era emergency rental assistance program, which ended last year, cost about $3,000 per New Orleans household to prevent homelessness for those facing eviction, Owczarek said. Elsa Dimitradis, executive director of Acadiana Regional Coalition on Homelessness and Housing, testified that she had 'serious concerns' about Knox's bill, particularly the mandate about sharing client information with local governments. She warned the potential violations of privacy and disability laws could jeopardize $93 million in federal funding for housing nonprofits across the state. Unity of Greater New Orleans is already suing the state for trying to compel the organization to produce protected information about its clients, such as medical histories and Social Security numbers. Dimitradis also testified that the bill as written 'appears to allow for open-ended demands at any time without clear standards or limitations,' which is 'an operational threat.' Hannah Adams of the National Housing Law Project argued the bill should provide exceptions to the ban if local governments are actively working to rehouse people. 'Clearing an encampment when social workers are actively working to rehouse individuals does interfere with their ability to maintain contact and secure long-term housing for their clients,' Adams told the committee. The audit, likewise, noted that unexpected NOPD sweeps and state pressure to clear encampments contributed to delays in the city's rehousing efforts. Monique Blossom, director of policy at Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center, also warned that by directing state officials to inspect group homes, the bill risks violating the federal Fair Housing Act, opening the state to liability. The bill could lead to the shuttering of some group homes, including domestic violence shelters, sober living homes and even homes for seriously ill children who need to stay near hospitals, she said Donna Paramore, executive director of the Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans, told Illuminator the group is in 'strong opposition' to the bill despite the amendments. 'The framework it proposes still undermines essential safeguards for vulnerable populations,' Paramore said. The issues outlined by Dimitradis 'could jeopardize federal funding' and 'create serious legal and ethical conflicts,' she added. Paramore also noted her nonprofit undergoes an independent financial audit each year and has never had an adverse finding. She said that instead of banning public encampments, the state should expand supportive housing, behavioral health services and trauma-informed care. Knox dismissed objections at the close of the hearing, calling some 'technical and nitpicking.' He rejected Adams' request for leniency when social workers are actively working on rehousing someone. 'If that language were to be included, they will always be 'actively working,'' Knox said. The representative's office did not respond to a request for comment after hearing. Knox's bill was advanced to the House floor without objection.
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Megachurch pastor embroiled in sexting scandal as his dirty messages are leaked
Megachurch pastor John Gray has made an emotional public apology to his wife Aventer and thousands of followers after inappropriate relationships and a sexting scandal nearly destroyed his marriage and ministry. The controversial church leader, 50, opened up during a recent episode of Laterras R. Whitfield's podcast 'Dear Future Wifey,' recorded at Gray's Love Story Church (formerly Relentless Church) in Greenville, South Carolina. Gray blamed his actions on childhood sexual trauma and what he described as 'demonic forces,' claiming he was sexually assaulted at the young age of four. 'I want to say to Aventer, I want to thank you for showing me what the love of Christ looks like because you loved a very unlovable man,' Gray said during the nearly three-hour podcast. 'And I want to tell you how very sorry I am for the pain I caused, 'I've never said this, but to the people who knew that God called me but saw the headlines of a failure and a failing and a brokenness that you didn't know the origin of, for the people who were deeply disappointed, I want to say I'm sorry,' he added. Gray claimed his 'dysfunctional approach to marriage' stemmed from childhood sexual trauma involving multiple men. 'I was thrown away. I was spit on. I was maligned for the brokenness that was given to me on a grassy front yard at four years old when two men took my innocence,' he admitted. Gray also claimed this traumatic experience introduced 'a demon' that 'sat dormant for years.' The controversial church leader, 50, opened up during a recent episode of Laterras R. Whitfield's podcast 'Dear Future Wifey,' recorded at Gray's Love Story Church (formerly Relentless Church) in Greenville, South Carolina 'And that demon that entered me when they took my innocence sat dormant for years, waiting for me to get married to show up so I could fail,' he said. 'And I've been in church my whole life. And everybody told me Jesus would fix it. Jesus would fix it. But there are some things the altar can't do.' Gray claimed that he remained a virgin until marrying Aventer at age 37, though he admitted to 'near sexual experiences' including phone sex and masturbation before. He also spoke about his upbringing with his single mother. He described growing up as an only child with a Christian mother who responded to his first wet dream by telling him to 'take a bath, ask the Lord to forgive you and go back to sleep.' 'I had a wet dream, and I ran into my mother's room crying because I didn't know what had happened. And she said, 'This is called a nocturnal emission.'… She said, 'Go take a bath. Ask the Lord to forgive you and go back to sleep.'' 'I'm not angry at my mother. She is only who she is because that's what she was raised and taught. But what that tells me is that I didn't do a bad thing. I am bad.' 'So now I'm sexually repressed. That's a teenager. We still haven't unpacked the fact that I was spitting urine out of my mouth at 4 years old on a front lawn,' Gray said. 'And so a demon was introduced in [that] moment. And I don't care what you believe; demons are assigned to families because some of you all have generations of people who have failed at the same thing, and then it comes to knock on your door.' Gray claimed that he remained a virgin until marrying Aventer at age 37, though he admitted to 'near sexual experiences' including phone sex and masturbation before 'And I don't know what your door is or what your demon is, but before you go sending me to Hell, you should probably check for the demons that's knocking on your door.' Gray also surprisingly claimed that he wasn't trying to hide his inappropriate relationships but actually 'wanted it to happen' so his ministry would end. 'I was not blindsided by people going to blogs. I wanted it to happen because I was trying to die, and I was trying to be exed out, and I wanted her [Aventer] to leave because I never felt worthy of her,' Gray said, sharing that he constantly envisioned himself alone in a two-bedroom apartment with a brown table stacked with unpaid bills. 'Yep. No wife, no kids. And that's how I thought my life would be for years. So the fact that she was there, she's accomplished, she's learned, and she loves the part of me that I hate; I didn't trust her because how can you love me and I don't love me.'
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Louisiana considers ‘homelessness courts' as housing advocates stress lack of resources
A relocation notice is posted in front of a makeshift shelter at the Earhart Boulevard homeless encampment Jan. 13, 2025. Those living near the corridor were take to a state-operated transitional center in Gentilly. (John Gray/Verite News) A bill to criminalize public camping and create 'homelessness courts' in Louisiana passed its first hurdle Tuesday, despite objections from housing advocates and religious groups. Senate Bill 196, sponsored by Rep. Robert Owen, R-Slidell, would make 'unauthorized public camping' a crime punishable by six months in jail, a $500 fine or both for the first offense. The second offense imposes a sentence of one to two years in jail and a $1,000 fine. A Senate committee advanced the bill in a 4-3 vote along party lines, with Republicans prevailing. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry supports the legislation. The proposal would also allow parishes to establish a court program for unhoused people, versions of which already exist in other states. They would give defendants the option to have their conviction set aside if they agreed to be placed on supervised probation and enter into long-term substance or mental health treatment. If the person failed to complete the program, they would face criminal sentencing. The defendant would be responsible for paying program costs, unless a judge waives them. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Prosecutors and judges would have the authority to decide whether homeless defendants, facing a misdemeanor or felony charge, could be diverted to the homelessness court program. People charged with a violent crime or sex offense, or with a past homicide or sex crime conviction, would not be eligible to take part. Owen's bill also excludes persons accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs that resulted in someone's death. Disagreement over the bill came down to views on housing solutions. Its supporters argued enough resources exist for homeless people, but they need to be convinced to accept assistance. 'We need to have some kind of stick and carrot, essentially, attached to the bill that gives it a little teeth,' Owen told the Illuminator after the hearing. He added that amendments to his proposal are likely. Organizations against the bill are those that advocate and support people without housing. They include the Travelers Aid Society and Unity of Greater New Orleans. Representatives with the Louisiana Interchurch Conference and the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops also testified against the proposal. They argued the bill criminalizes homelessness without offering housing solutions, funding or support services. Sufficient affordable housing and needed treatment programs simply don't exist in Louisiana, they said. 'Housing costs have doubled in the last 10 years. Sending these people to jail is a travesty,' said David Larsen, 50, who told lawmakers on the committee he was homeless for seven years. Sens. Joe Bouie and Royce Duplessis, both Democrats from New Orleans, expressed skepticism about the expense of setting up homelessness courts falling on state and local governments and lack of housing support for people as they go through addiction or mental health treatment. Bouie specifically took issue with the bill's requirement for a 12-month treatment plan. 'What're they doing during that time if they don't have housing?' Bouie asked. 'Where do they go? Back on the streets?' Duplessis noted he lives near encampments in New Orleans, where he often sees homeless people who are not suffering from behavioral health issues and would benefit from simple financial support. According to federal data, 40% to 60% of homeless people in the U.S. have a job, but their wages have not kept up with the cost of housing. 'They literally can't afford a place to live,' he said. Meghan Garvey of the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys said Owen's bill would only exacerbate homelessness in the state. 'This isn't informed by any of the best practices' the American Bar Association recommends for homelessness courts, Garvey said, stressing the bill is 'creating a whole new crime.' Will Harrell of the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, which operates the city jail, testified against opposed the bill. He warned it would worsen chronic capacity issues there. 'There is no more room in the inn,' he said. According to Orleans Sheriff Susan Hutson, it costs $53,000 to keep someone in jail for a year. Permanent supportive housing costs about $16,000 annually, said Angela Owczarek with the New Orleans housing advocacy organization Jane's Place. Christopher Walters, the governor's deputy general counsel, appeared before the committee to support Owen's bill and rejected opponents' framing of it. 'I don't believe this is criminalizing homelessness,' he said. 'It's criminalizing actions like erecting tents on public property.' Walters and Owen suggested sufficient housing vouchers and nonprofit services already exist to help people. Owen also rejected the idea that housing is the solution to homelessness. 'I just don't think building more housing is the way out of this,' the senator told the committee. Housing advocates provided data in the meeting to contradict Owen's statement. Jennifer Carlyle of East Baton Rouge's Continuum of Care said her homelessness service provider coalition has 2,000 people on its waiting list for housing vouchers, many of whom have waited for months or years for rental assistance. Louisiana is short 117,000 affordable housing units, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. 'We're asking people to get housed without having housing to put them in,' Carlyle said. Some bill opponents also stressed that a person's homelessness does not reflect a lack of desire to be housed. Donna Paramore of Travelers Aid said 98% of the people her nonprofit places in homes stay housed. Detox and treatment centers often have weeks-long waitlists for beds, according to Owczarek. 'These resources don't exist in our state,' she said. Detractors of the bill also said it would likely disproportionately affect people of color, noting that more than 55% of tenants facing eviction in New Orleans are Black women. 'Just weeks ago, a single mom with five kids was sleeping in a van on my corner because no family shelter spaces were available,' Owczarek told the committee. 'There's nothing to stop this bill from leading to her arrest.' Owen's bill comes in the wake of a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that asserted it is not cruel and unusual punishment to arrest people who are sleeping outside when no shelter space is available. The bill is similar to model legislation supported by the Cicero Institute, a public policy group whose backers include Elon Musk. Cicero has two lobbyists registered in Louisiana. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
New Statesman
30-04-2025
- Politics
- New Statesman
Subscriber of the week: David Stacey
Photo by Thierry Clech/Millennium Images What do you do? I own and run a farming and property business. Where do you live? In the Shropshire marches. Do you vote? Yes. Ten or more years. What made you start? As a subscriber to the Spectator, I felt I needed an alternative perspective. Is the NS bug in the family? Like Covid, the bug affected us differently: I have the mild, long version; my wife's symptoms have been more serious. What pages do you flick to first? John Gray. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe How do you read yours? In the kitchen. I start standing up and finish sitting down. What would you like to see more of in the NS? Wit. Who are your favourite NS writers? John Gray, Nicholas Lezard, Jason Cowley. With which political figure would you least like to be stuck in a lift? The peer Mary Bousted – more because as a lockdown champion she would probably enjoy being locked in a lift. All-time favourite NS article? The last article by John Gray. The New Statesman is… often wrong – but not always. [See also: Louis Theroux: The Settlers is a deathly warning] Related
