CORT Community Housing Appoints New CEO

Stephen Hart says need for quality homes never been more critical

“Auckland desperately needs more quality, affordable homes and I want to see that challenge met in my lifetime,” says Stephen Hart, incoming chief executive officer of CORT Community Housing.

Formerly Operations Manager, Hart replaces the outgoing CEO Peter Jeffries.

CORT Chair Sue Watson says that Hart is an excellent choice for the role.

“We conducted a wide search and shortlisted some excellent candidates. We chose Stephen because of his unique combination of skills and experience and his strong heart for people. As Operations Manager, Stephen has managed CORT through a time of growth - including significant deals, such as our $50 million partnership with ACC to build over 100 new homes. His innovative approach and ability to form strong partnerships have been key to our success in recent years.

“But just as importantly, Stephen has a heart for people. He believes that good homes are a human right and that providing access to quality, affordable homes has the power to transform lives and communities. We see him as a worthy successor to our retiring CEO, Peter Jeffries, who has done a tremendous job in building CORT and the community housing sector in the last decade,” says Watson.

As Operations Manager, Hart has been part of the team overseeing the expansion of CORT’s activities, including:

the establishment 12 new housing communities across Auckland as part of CORTs most recent development pipeline of 190 new homes

a $50 million partnership with ACC to build more than 100 houses across seven sites in Auckland

partnerships with Housing Foundation and Te Tumu Kāinga to build 190 homes in Puhinui Park and 295 homes in Waimahia Inlet, Weymouth

significantly expanding the number of properties under management which provide homes for more than 550 people

established new and innovative partnerships with support providers.

“I’m excited about leading CORT into the next phase of our mission,” says Hart. “Peter has left big shoes to fill but CORT is in a strong position to rise to Auckland’s housing challenge. We have a highly effective board, a strong team and excellent relationships with our tenants, suppliers and our peers.”

Hart has not followed a typical route into executive leadership. Graduating from the University of Auckland with a conjoint degree in history and commerce, Hart spent time in the music industry and was the manager of Crossroads Clubhouse, a community centre and outreach programme for people with mental health diagnoses. He also completed a Diploma in Mental Health at AUT in 2013.

“Our work at CORT is critical for the future of Auckland and New Zealand. Nearly 8,500 Auckland families remain on the public housing register and this number continues to rise. Yet research shows that access to quality, safe homes is critical for family and community wellbeing. The lack of good homes, conversely, is a huge contributor to poor outcomes in health, education and employment. When we get housing right however, built with a focus on tenants and the wider neighbourhood, and commit strongly to working alongside our tenants, we see whanau start to flourish, find their place, and contribute to their community. This is where CORT has been very successful, and we are ready to do more.”

“It’s tragic that thousands of families cannot access quality homes. Our mission is to solve this in our lifetime and I’m excited to be part of it.”

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