Chief executive Ministry of Housing and Urban Development

“I am very pleased to appoint Mr Crisp to this role,” the Commissioner said.

“Mr Crisp is a seasoned public servant and leader with significant experience working in the housing and urban development sector.

“His career includes 13 years in senior and executive leadership roles and he has a deep understanding of the New Zealand housing system. He has a track record of successfully driving organisational and system performance, through his engagement skills, integrity and authenticity.”

Mr Crisp is currently the Acting Chief Executive at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, on secondment from his substantive role as Chief Executive of

Land Information New Zealand. Previously Mr Crisp was Deputy Chief Executive, Building, Resources and Markets at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development was established on 1 October 2018. It was set up to lead the design and implementation of an integrated housing strategy, advise government on the full range of housing issues and provide a single point of leadership for New Zealand’s housing and urban development sector.

The Chief Executive, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development role is a multifaceted one, with leadership responsibilities across the housing sector. In the 2019/20 financial year the Ministry will manage a departmental budget of about $33 million. The Ministry monitors Housing New Zealand, the public housing landlord for over 60,000 families which has a housing portfolio over $25 billion. In addition, the Ministry is a significant investor in housing, spending over $1 billion in 2019/20 on rent support for public housing tenants and $175 million on other housing and urban activities. It also manages over $2 billion of capital for KiwiBuild and will monitor the new Housing and Urban Development Authority.

“Mr Crisp has extensive experience in managing at the political interface, and in leading and delivering demanding programmes of work that have prepared him for this role,” said Mr Hughes.

“He is a strong public service leader who embodies the spirit of service.”

Mr Crisp will take up the role on 17 December for five years.