Council to explore red-zone relocations for social housing

Christchurch City Council has agreed, in principle, to the relocation of residential red-zone houses onto Council land, given the potential to quickly and sustainably increase its available social housing.

The Council requested today that staff identify land for a small-scale trial of up to 10 relocated red-zone houses for the express purpose of providing social housing units.

The trial will go out to tender next week, and up to $2 million will be allocated from the Council’s Social Housing Fund to resource the relocations.

The Council also recognised there were other means for providing social housing that should be tested through an open procurement process.

Housing Committee Chair Glenn Livingstone says it is critical the Council explores options to increase its number of social housing units.

“We have an opportunity and an obligation to look urgently at ways to cost-effectively grow our social housing. One of those ways is the relocation and repurposing of residential red-zone houses destined for demolition.

“The Canterbury earthquakes had a huge impact on the Council’s social housing stock. And while we continue to work hard to repair damaged units and open closed ones, we also need to be front-footed about considering options that will help to accelerate this process, so that we can continue to provide good-quality, affordable housing for those in need,” he says.

Council staff will work with the Insurance Council of New Zealand and the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority to identify and evaluate specific houses for the red-zone relocations trial.

It is expected that a tender for the trial will be recommended to Council in April.

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