The Government has been accused of "targeting" Kāinga Ora, the public sector union says, as more than 100 roles face the axe at the public housing agency.
Kāinga Ora is proposing to cut a net 130 roles as part of the Government's cost-cutting demands, staff were told on Thursday.
"The Government's cuts to public services are targeting Kāinga Ora - the agency charged with fixing the public housing crisis - at a time when 25,000 people are on a waiting list for social housing," said Fleur Fitzsimons, assistant secretary of the Public Service Association (PSA).
A further 40 roles face the axe at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), including principal advisors, policy managers, and digital specialists, among others, with further cuts likely.
Fitzsimons said the proposed cuts are "rushed".
"Coming at a time when the country is facing a housing affordability crisis and before the results of an independent review of Kāinga Ora led by former Prime Minister Sir Bill English are known," she added.
Further cuts at Kāinga Ora could come following Sir Bill English's review of the agency, due to be completed by March this year.
"The Government needs to release the review immediately," Fitzsimons said, adding their "reckless" approach creates uncertainty for staff.
About a quarter of the 103 roles in Kāinga Ora's information and intelligence team are proposed to go, plus three roles in the customer experience team.
"The cuts are in roles like trainers, technicians, data and governance specialists, and service desk technicians, test analysts, project managers and coordinators," Fitzsimons said.
She said Kāinga Ora has delivered more than 6300 homes across the past two years, a record.
"The last thing any Government should do is make cuts to this critical work."
Kāinga Ora provides tenancy services to about 200,000 Kiwis across 70,000 public homes. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is tasked with advising the Government and delivering on its housing and urban development programme.
