Social Housing Fund

Last updated: 13 December 2011

INFORMATION on this page is being progressively added to. In all instances you need to refer firstly to www.shu.govt.nz

Important Note:
CHA DOCUMENTATION TO ACCOMPANY APPLICATIONS TO THE SOCIAL HOUSING FUND

  • Application forms for the respective funds collectively known as the Social Housing Fund make specific reference to Community Housing Aotearoa’s Best Practice Guide as an indicator of capability.
  • Application forms designed by the Social Housing Unit pose four levels of question related to the Best Practice Guide and in the checklist of mandatory documents there is a reference to applicants attaching a “copy of your CHA peer review results or accreditation document”.
  • Following consultation with the Social Housing Unit the fact that CHA does not yet provide accreditation documents and does not yet offer peer review results  has been noted.
  • It is permissible for applicants to instead seek a letter of endorsement for their application from CHA on request to David McCartney, Executive Officer, Community Housing Aotearoa – email director@communityhousing.org.nz
  • The Best Practice Guide is the intellectual property of CHA, and as such CHA would need to endorse any applicants who consider they have: (1) adopted the Guide;  (2) self-review against the Guide; (3) peer-review against the Guide; (4) are accredited. CHA’s letter of endorsement could authenticate the way in which the Guide is being used.

About the CHA Best Practice Guide

  • The Best Practice Guide is the first step in the Quality Assurance programme that Community Housing Aotearoa has had under development over a long period, with the latest modules now being reviewed by the  Quality Improvement Council of Australia.
  • CHA’s understanding is that this Quality Assurance programme is being factored into a ‘light regulation’ or voluntary accreditation approach for the sector, as preferred by Cabinet (though still subject to allocation of funding support).
  • The Quality Assurance programme is more than a ‘benchmark’ as it will also offer specific modules tailored to organisations involved in the provision and delivery of social housing such as modules for Tenancy Management. Modules for Governance, Management Systems, HR, Finance and Working with the Community Working are now available through CHA/Te Wana.
  • As at October 2011 a growing group of community housing organisations are working towards formal accreditation and will accordingly receive the letters of endorsement mentioned above as of right.
  • Participation in the CHA Quality Assurance programme is dependent on an intention of becoming a member of Community Housing Aotearoa and fulfilling our membership criteria. For more details please email director@communityhousing.org.nz

Read more about the CHA Quality Assurance programme on this website – Quality Assurance

SOCIAL HOUSING FUND INFORMATION

As detailed in releases of information made on 25 October 2011, the Social Housing Fund consists of four new funds.

This table sets out the basic facts:

NICHE FUND
Pūtea Kaupapa Motuhake…………….		 MAORI FUND
Pūtea Māori…………………………..		 RURAL FUND
Pūtea Taiwhenua..………………….		 GROWTH FUND
Pūtea Whakatipu……………………..
Must be
not-for-profit		 YES YES YES NO
Total value
of funding on offer
 $5 million $3 million $5 million $22.35  million
End of Q&A period 28 November 2011 12 December 2011 12 December 2011 20 January 2012
Closing
date		 5 December 2011 19 December 2011 19 December 2011 27 January 2012
Decisions notified 23 December  2011 27 January 2012 27 January 2012
 24 February 2012
Type of
funding		 Grants for up to 50%
of capital costs		 Grants for up to 50%
of capital costs		 Grants for up to 50%
of capital costs		 Grants, operating
funding or other assistance

.
Number of
Assessment criteria		 Three: Organisational capacity
and capability, Alignment with need, Value for money		 Four: Organisational capacity and capability; Contribution to developing sustainable Maori communities; Use of Maori land for housing; Size of equity contribution Five: Organisational capacity and
capability; Alignment with need;
Value for money; Project is in a
sustainable community; Project
will support existing interagency
approaches to social and economic issues in the community; Uses Maori land for housing

.

 Four: Alignment with need; Value for money (whole of life); Capacity and capability; Community viability and pathways to  independence
Target group/
purpose		 Providers working on small, local scale or with specific client group Māori freehold or reserve
land for housing , including multiply-owned land

.Sustainable communities for Māori

 A priority for Māori freehold or reserve land for housing,
including multiply-owned land

.Sustainable rural communities

 Providers who can achieve critical mass and deliver ongoing growthProviders with an asset or investment base for social and affordable housing

.
Eligibility in
more detail 		Must:

> be not-for-profit providers

> have housing as an integral part of their business

> be niche/specialist housing providers with a focus on their local community or specific client group

 .

> be a not-for-profit Maori organisation

> account for housing activities separately and transparently where housing is not the core business

 .

> be a not-for-profit organisation

> possess organisational capability and mandate from key stakeholders

> have housing as their core
business or account for their
housing business separately and
transparently

 .

> demonstrate how their business model will provide a platform for attaining critical mass and delivering ongoing growth [in
provision of social housing]

> have an asset base that is able to be leveraged, applied to, or available to apply to, social housing

> demonstrate how they will ensure that any capital provided by the government continues to be applied to social housing

> have a proven track record in social and affordable housing provision (or partner with a proven provider in a formal and demonstrable partnership agreement)

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ACCESSING RFP DOCUMENTS & GRANT APPLICATION FORMS

Please remember you do NOT actually lodge an application via GETS, this is just an information resource to download documents from. If you haven’t registered at GETS (Government Electronic Tender Service, www.gets.govt.nz) or are having any difficulties accessing these documents please send an email to CHA-HELP Social Housing Fund process and we should be able to assist.

LINKS TO MEDIA RELEASES

25 October 2010 – Minister announces criteria set for Social Housing Fund

In this media release, Housing Minister Phil Heatley says that “although similar to the previous Housing Innovation Fund (HIF), the criteria were simplified, and a number of bureaucratic processes removed, to ensure that maximum building gain can be wrung out of every dollar”. He notes the Social Housing Unit will also be active in the supply of Crown land to social housing providers, and, where appropriate any surplus State housing stock… read more

25 October 2010 – Social Housing Funds Open – Social Housing Unit website

In this release Michael Pead, interim SHU director, states that each of the funds is “targeted for a different part of the social and affordable housing sector”, adding “information on the outcome of this year’s funding will be used to inform future Government decisions on funding for social housing”. The SHU website features:

CHA media releases that are circulated to CHA members are also being posted on Scoop.co.nz

1. Representative body for housing providers assesses Social Housing Fund  - PDF copy

20120321160036102 Letter