Request for expressions of interest – Technical and Professional Services

Community Housing Aotearoa (CHA) is the representative body that binds New Zealand’s community housing sector together. It advocates on the sector’s behalf to Government and others. It builds the reputation of the sector by showcasing its achievements and reinforcing its business and community models. It builds sector capability by:

– building membership networks and relationships

– sharing tools and resources for organisational development

– raising awareness of and conducting relevant research and best practice

– facilitating the Community Housing Quality Assurance and Accreditation Programme

– organising events and sharing community housing news

Our members deliver the full-spectrum of a social, community and affordable housing continuum, which includes everything from tenancy management, rental accommodation, and paths to homeownership. Currently there are 65 members of CHA, forming a rich mosaic of housing and service providers across the country. Our members have varying forms of legal structure, including iwi organisations, trusts, incorporated societies, and companies, from both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. The size of member organisations range from those with small housing portfolios of rental accommodation, to medium-scale developers of homes and apartments.

The government’s Social Housing Reform Programme is presenting new opportunities and risks for the sector. CHA is engaged in several workstreams that seek to understand the policy and operational impacts so that we can respond effectively. To that end, we anticipate requiring various professional services to complement our own skills to deliver services on behalf of our members. To ensure our ability to timely act on opportunities as they arise, we are now requesting Expressions of Interest from organisations and consultants with expertise and capacity as described below.

Respondents may be contacted by CHA if/when specific components of the services are required. There is no guarantee expressed or implied in this request by CHA to contract for any or all of the described services. This is an open request with no due by or close dates.

All responses should include:

• Identification of areas of expertise and interest, including a description of your specific experience related to Community Housing
• Hourly rates for staff
• Identification of key contact individual

1. Legal Services
   1. Member Corporate Structures: The sector is expecting Charity Services to clarify requirements related to maintaining tax-exempt status for members providing home ownership opportunities. Advice regarding appropriate legal structures to maintain tax-exempt status may be required. This may include establishing a new entity, drafting its Incorporation and Constitution documents. CHA seeks expert legal advice to inform members of the options available to them, identification of risks and the costs/benefits of different approaches.
   2. Investment/Lending Documents: CHA is working with Auckland Council to develop a Housing Bond to provide lower cost capital to its members. Legal services may be required to produce the Investment documents, the Lending documents, a Guaranty Agreement and related transactional services.
   3. Professional Services Contracts: CHA seeks support to develop robust professional services contracts required for various projects. These contracts would ensure CHA purposes are met, that risks are appropriately allocated and legal protections are maintained.

1. Tax Services
   1. Community Housing – income tax exemption and donee status: The sector is expecting Charity Services to clarify requirements related to maintaining tax-exempt status for members providing home ownership opportunities. Some members are expected to be de-registered by Charities Services. Expert tax advice regarding the new requirements may be required to enable members facing de-registration to make informed decisions based on their unique structures and services.
   2. Housing Bonds – CHA is working with Auckland Council to develop a Housing Bond to provide lower cost capital to its members. CHA anticipates establishing a taxable subsidiary corporation to carry out this work. Expert tax advice regarding any implications for CHA’s tax-exempt status, investments from foundations and trusts, and taxes payable by the subsidiary may be required.
2. Financial Services
   1. Development Case Studies – CHA proposes to model different means of delivering social and affordable housing to further the goals of the Social Housing Reform Programme. Real estate development and financial expertise may be required to work with a group of members and CHA to fully develop these models. The models would provide exemplar projects from acquisition, through consenting, infrastructure development, construction and permanent financing. They will analyse varying approaches to the provision of debt, equity and subsidy to achieve stated outcomes most efficiently.
   2. Risk Management and Underwriting – CHA is working with Auckland Council to develop a Housing Bond to provide lower cost capital to its members. It is considering whether to contract for underwriting services for acquisition and construction lending. Professional services to develop and apply underwriting criteria to evaluate loan applications may be required.
   3. Loan Servicing – CHA is working with Auckland Council to develop a Housing Bond to provide lower cost capital to its members. It is considering whether to contract out loan disbursements and servicing functions for acquisition and construction lending and interest/principal payments to investors.
3. Data Services
   1. Data Collection – CHA may require assistance to collect sector data including financial information, existing stock and types of services provided. This will include web-based research of publicly available information and additional follow up with organisations.
   2. Data Analysis – CHA may require assistance to analyse data collected above to determine overall sector skills and abilities along with regional variations.
   3. Database Scoping – CHA may require professional services to scope the requirements for a database to effectively manage sector data.
4. Research Services
   1. Interviews – CHA may require assistance to interview sector participants to inform our proposals on the Social Housing Reform Programme. These interviews are expected to be both in-person and telephone based. The results will be used to develop positions on financing methods, stock transfer considerations and training requirements.
   2. Best Practices – CHA may require assistance to revise its existing Best Practices resources. This will include updating reference materials to incorporate the new Community Housing Regulatory Authority requirements, developing sample policies and procedures, creating Case Studies to illustrate best practices and associated training materials.

Electronic submittals are encouraged and can be emailed to:

Chris Glaudel, Programme Manager

Community Housing Aotearoa

[email protected]

Materials may also be posted to:

PO Box 11543

Wellington 6142