Hon Phil Heatley
Minister for Housing
27 September 2011
Media Statement

HNZ to create more and better housing in Auckland

Housing Minister Phil Heatley has welcomed Housing New Zealand’s (HNZ) announcement of a major upgrade and increase of its state housing property in urban Auckland.

Nearly half (14,500) of the 30,600 state homes in the city will receive upgrades and up to 1400 new state homes will also be added to the HNZ Auckland property portfolio over the next five years, bringing the number of state homes there to around 32,000.

"This is a significant portfolio upgrade by HNZ that will see communities across Auckland given a real lift," says Mr Heatley.

As part of this plan, a number of state properties will be subdivided and sections made available for the provision of social, affordable and private housing in and around the City of Sails.

"A number of HNZ properties in Auckland are currently situated on large valuable sections. The value of the sections outstrips the value of the houses which are often old, or of the wrong size to meet current need, which is increasingly for one or two-bedroom or four or more bedroom houses. This is an absurdity at a time when we need more state homes here and when young working families in Auckland are screaming out for the land necessary to build or buy their first home," says Mr Heatley.

As part of this redevelopment programme HNZ will work through the Social Housing Unit, with alternative providers of social housing (including niche, Maori and other non-government providers), to identify opportunities created by the subdivision of large state house properties to significantly grow the provision of social and affordable homes in Auckland.

"HNZ will look to decrease the concentration of state housing in some areas by increasing the amount of social, affordable and private housing, when rebuilding on subdivided sections," says Mr Heatley.

Currently around 1600 A or B (those assessed as being in the greatest need) state house applicants, that is fifty five per cent of the national total, are in Auckland.

"These new and renovated homes will be the right size, in the right condition and in the right place to meet that need," says Mr Heatley.

HNZ is basing its expansion plans on the draft Auckland Spatial Plan, ensuring wherever possible its new homes will be close to planned transport hubs and the infrastructure necessary to ensure its tenants have the ability to access schools, support centres and work opportunities.

"We want all tenants who need a state home to be housed quickly, in a home that meets their need for the duration of that need, but we also want to put them in a position where they can improve their circumstances so that they can move on to social or private housing. By ensuring new state houses are positioned in areas that allow access to schools, employment and support services we can help make that happen," says Mr Heatley.

ENDS

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