Auckland mayor Len Brown is defending his signing of a deal with the Government to develop a low-income area where state housing tenants are being evicted.
Mr Brown was taken to task at a Pasifika campaign meeting for doing nothing to oppose the sale of state housing in the eastern suburb of Glen Innes.
The suburb is part of council's Tamaki Redevelopment joint venture with the Government.
Mr Brown says the houses being sold aren't part of the deal.
He says the choice was to stand outside and protest, or commit the Government to regenerating the wider area.
Mr Brown says the council is looking to increase the available housing there and choices for its tenants.
He says the council has already invested a lot in developing Tamaki and won't walk away.
