In this newsletter we look at the Cross-party Inquiry into Homelessness report; we have information on some new RFPs from Government on emergency housing and moving to results-based contracts with community investment; and we have updates on the standard for the testing and remediation of methamphetamine-contaminated properties and the new code of practice for retirement villages. You’ll also find news and events of interest to the community housing sector in here.
Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith recently announced changes to the Retirement Villages Code of Practice to better support residents’ rights and resolution of complaints.
The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) is looking for emergency housing providers to deliver additional emergency housing accommodation and accompanying services
Ministry of Social Development’s Community Investment business group is about to begin an acceleration for results programme with partner Ākina Foundation and are seeking to work with community investment funded providers on this initiative.
New data reveals just 18 affordable homes have been built and sold to first home buyers in Auckland’s Special Housing Areas under the retained and relative affordable requirements.
It's not just the low paid who are being squeezed out of Auckland's housing market, its affecting middle income earners too. It will now take a typical Auckland couple nearly eight years to save a 20% deposit on their first home, compared to about four years in other main centres, according to Interest.co.nz's Home Loan Affordability Report.
Labour, the Greens and the Maori Party joined forces to hold an inquiry into ending homelessness and released their report today. The Cross-Party Inquiry into Homelessness made a number of recommendations. These include rolling out Housing First as the primary response to severe homelessness; building more affordable homes through an increase in state housing stock, measures such as reducing the cost of building homes and long-term funding for community housing providers to build homes; and creating a national strategy to end homelessness.
Finance Minister Bill English is signalling a ramp-up of Government intervention in Auckland's private sector housing market.
This newsletter was sent while we were at the National Maori Housing Conference in Tauranga Moana, a fantastic event that five of us from Community Housing Aotearoa attended - we will put a link to the presentations on the website when they're available. Meanwhile in this edition we have: a profile of Monte Cecilia emergency housing trust; a link to CHRA guidance notes, a report on the Housing Data Supply survey and research, news and events.
Social housing minister, Paula Bennett, spoke today at the National Maori Housing Conference. Here is her speech announcing new emergency housing units in Auckland and the Government's social Housing programme:
