The Herald on Sunday can reveal that HNZ plans to sell seven properties - each worth more than $1m - but needs Cabinet permission after strict rules about selling Crown property were introduced this year.
Housing New Zealand has confirmed the sale of four houses in Orakei, and three others in Freemans Bay, St Heliers and Herne Bay for a total of $8.6m. A Herne Bay home was sold in July for $800,000.
But the National Party wants more million-dollar homes sold so cheaper houses can be bought to ease the city's state housing shortage.
Housing spokesman Phil Heatley said it was "a joke" that million-dollar state homes could not be sold until the tenants moved out, including $2m properties in Glen Innes and Orakei.
"Any policy to sell these multimillion-dollar state homes when they become vacant is meaningless."
Heatley said the top four state houses were worth $6.3m and could buy 16 state houses at average Auckland prices, to cut the waiting list of 11,000 nationwide. "That's 12 families off the waiting list for a start."
Housing Minister Chris Carter introduced a policy last year, to assess whether the 141 state homes worth more than $700,000 should be kept, sold or redeveloped to build more homes on the land when the existing tenants left.
Gary Anaru, Housing New Zealand assets general manager, said selling the valuable properties needed to be balanced against the risk of buying more homes in poorer areas.
"If you sell all state homes in high-value areas and buy where land is cheapest, you end up concentrating all state homes in particular areas, which is not ideal for the community," Anaru said.
Two years ago the Herald on Sunday revealed a three-bedroom property in Takitimu St, Orakei, with sweeping views of the Waitemata Harbour, was the most expensive state home, worth $1.2m.
However, Housing New Zealand would not reveal if the home was one of the properties now up for sale.
A property in Glen Innes has since overtaken it as the most valuable state home, and the first to top $2m.
The most any tenant pays for one of the top 10 most valuable state properties is $84 a week.
Tenants in one Glen Innes house - worth $820,000 three years ago - are paying just $34 a week.
Some of the tenancies are 35 years old, although the average stay is seven years.
All of the top 10 properties skyrocketed in value during the property boom, as the houses were on large sections, often with sea views, in more affluent suburbs.
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source: nzherald.co.nz
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