Joint media release
10 April 2017

New housing partnership between The Selwyn Foundation and Auckland Council to commence operations in July

The Housing for Older People limited partnership between charitable trust, The Selwyn Foundation, and Auckland Council has confirmed its appointments to the Board of its General Partner and has also announced its new name, as it prepares to take over operations of the council’s Housing for Older People portfolio on 1 July 2017.

The limited partnership was formed in December 2016 to undertake comprehensive tenancy and asset management services associated with the council’s stock of 1,452* rental units for senior citizens, which are located in villages across south, north and west Auckland. As a 51% shareholder, The Selwyn Foundation has appointed three directors – Selwyn Board members, Helen Melrose and Vicki Sykes, and Selwyn CEO, Garry Smith. Matthew Harker and Kerry Hitchcock have been appointed by Auckland Council following an external selection process. Helen Melrose is the Board Chair.

The Board has appointed Gabrielle Clezy as the partnership’s General Manager. Ms Clezy has been Chief Executive of aged residential care service provider, TerraNova, since 2014 and has extensive leadership and operational experience in social services and aged care in both the UK and New Zealand. She has worked for not-for-profit organisations in the healthcare arena, such as Bupa Care Services and specialist addictions mental health trust, Odyssey House, and has also held senior roles in the UK tertiary education and national health sectors.

‘Haumaru Housing’ has been registered as the name of the limited partnership, and the General Partner has been registered as ‘Haumaru Auckland Limited’.

Board Chair, Helen Melrose, says: “Haumaru Housing aims to provide outstanding social housing for older Aucklanders and to create safe and secure age-friendly communities for our tenants. As ‘Haumaru’ means ‘shelter, to provide a caring and safe haven for everything’ – and has associated meanings of protection, security and refuge – we believe this encapsulates our vision and objectives for the partnership and the quality and respectful service that tenants can expect to receive.”

Chair of The Selwyn Foundation Trust Board, Kay Hawk, says:

“The Selwyn Foundation has a long history of providing housing and accommodation for older people – since 1954, our mission has been to provide services for vulnerable elderly. Today, our charitable mission focusses more than ever on helping people into affordable rental homes, as well as alleviating the problems caused by loneliness, social isolation and financial hardship that equally affect the wellbeing of senior citizens and make them particularly vulnerable.

“We are very much looking forward to Haumaru Housing commencing services on 1 July and to applying our 60-plus years of experience and concern for the welfare of the older person, to the benefit of ever greater numbers of people. With our Auckland Council partners, we aim to provide a responsive, quality service and, in so doing, create environments where people will feel comfortable, content and secure in their homes, thereby enriching the lives of those who are most in need.”

Councillor Penny Hulse, Chair of Auckland Council’s Environment and Community Committee, says the initiative is all about improving both the quality of housing for Auckland’s older people and the associated services provided. She says:

“The Selwyn Foundation is a New Zealand-owned and operated charitable organisation with many years of providing quality retirement accommodation and care and, as such, is a great partner for Auckland Council.

“When addressing the future of older Aucklanders, the council faces some tough choices. The reality is, we have ‘baby boomers’ nearing retirement age, an ageing housing stock requiring upgrading and is not necessarily evenly spread across Auckland, and a limited budget.

“We have made a promise to maintain the current number of homes and the current level of service and we are confident this relationship will help us increase that number and improve the quality of homes.

“Most importantly, it means our tenants' homes are secure.”

Haumaru Housing (pronounced Hoe-maa-ru) is expected to receive Community Housing Provider registration shortly, which will enable it to access the Government’s Income Related Rent Subsidies scheme over time, thereby providing valuable funding to help further improve the services for tenants.

ENDS

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