There are two Hs that Governments through the ages, regardless of their political hue, have grappled with and have rarely, if ever, satisfied demand.

The first is health where, with increasing scientific and medicinal advances, the demand is insatiable. Understandably when people are facing the Grim Reaper, and where a drug can stave off his advance, there's a clamour for it to be provided out of the taxpayer purse.

Similarly, if an organ fails, or a hip gives out, there's an expectation that one will be provided with the assistance of the long suffering taxpayer.

The other H is housing with a smaller h representing the homeless, and that's not to downplay their circumstances, even though the question should be explored in this first world country as to how they got there in the first place.

Housing affordability is another issue, but that's beyond any Government's control, it's driven by market forces.

Way back in Big Norm Kirk's day they tried to bypass those forces, coming up with Ohus where land was leased in the wop wops to approved groups at 4.5 percent of its market value. Even way back then they struggled to find suitable land and thick red tape put many off the idea of deserting the cities and the policy largely withered in the weeds.

Eight Ohus did get off the ground though with the last one, on a remote site up the Whanganui River, finally packing up its tents just 16 years ago.

In the latest stoush on the housing shortage, not helped by a net gain to the population over the past year of 68 thousand, or just ten thousand shy of the population of Palmerston North, the Government's opponents have been baying for them to utter one simple word, crisis. To do that would be to admit defeat and Governments aren't of a mind to do that, even if they are staring it in the face.

Although they have now come close to buckling, to show they're willing to deliver to the desperate who've been forced into motels and hotels as a stop gap measure.

Their growing debt to Work and Income, in some cases well in excess of a grand a week, will now come out of a forty million dollar taxpayer chest, that'll kick in earlier than its previously announced start-up date.

John Key and Paula Bennett, separately delivered the news in a matter-of-fact way on their way into Parliament's bear pit.

It's a pity they hadn't talked to the Finance Minister about that, or about offering the Auckland homeless incentive payments to move to other parts of the country with vacant state houses.

The Dipton Drawler Bill English feigned relaxation about being left out of the loop, saying the system now works with a lot more flexibility.

Yeah right!