Horowhenua transfer of HNZ properties not proceeding

The Government has spent a number of months considering a proposal from Horowhenua District Council (HDC) to explore a joint transfer of council-owned flats and HNZ properties and tenancies to a community housing provider (CHP).

The council proposed to ‘package’ its 115 pensioner units in Foxton, Levin and Shannon with 249 HNZ properties.

“The Government agreed to explore the possibility of a joint transfer following the request from the Horowhenua District Council earlier this year. It was always going to be dependent on a number of factors, including market sounding and consultation with iwi.

“That iwi consultation has highlighted a number of complexities, particularly because the two iwi involved are yet to settle their Treaty of Waitangi claims with the Crown.

“Given the small scale of the transfer, and those complexities, we have decided not to package the HNZ properties with HDC. What the Council does now with its own properties though, is up to the Council.

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