New homeless project in Christchurch

The Housing Options for the Homeless project was set up in July this year and has so far helped nine young people and two families off the streets and into private rental accommodation.

The Council set aside a total of $130,000 from its Social Housing Fund for the project. The money, which is not drawn from rates, is being used to help remove barriers to housing faced by homeless people, including bridging the gap between the affordable rent that tenants pay and the market rent charged by landlords.

“Some of the people involved in the project have been struggling on the streets for years,” says Christchurch City Councillor Glenn Livingstone.

“Because of this, moving into a permanent home is literally a life-changing event for them, opening up new opportunities for the future.Ordinarily, without a previous address, credit rating, tenancy history or enough income to pay for bond or rent in advance, rental housing is simply not an option for people who are homeless”. Read more here.