For immediate release: 20 May 2008
Community Housing Aotearoa supports the new Shared Equity Pilot
Community Housing Aotearoa is delighted by
the government's pre-budget
announcement of a shared
equity pilot scheme. The announcement of the
$35m
two-year shared equity pilot could enable up to 700
households to get into
the housing market. The scheme
will run in five of New Zealand's highest
house price
markets: Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch
and
Queenstown.
Community Housing Aotearoa has
identified housing affordability as one of
its key
issues. Director Thérèse Quinlivan says any scheme by the
government
that works to improve affordability either in
the home ownership market or
the rented sector is
welcomed.
Supporting the shared equity scheme Ms
Quinlivan says she looks forward to
the government
releasing further measures that will address
housing
affordability.
Members of Community Housing
Aotearoa have voiced their concerns that the
scheme might
favour couples without children and therefore exclude
larger
families from the shared equity scheme. Ms
Quinlivan feels any future
programme needs to be flexible
to accommodate different types of buyers.
Community
Housing Aotearoa is keen to see HNZC, territorial
authorities,
developers and the community housing sector
work together in partnership to
provide more solutions
for aspiring first home owners. Community
Housing
Aotearoa is the umbrella body for community
housing groups and has 170
members nationwide.
ends
.