National Housing Policy thin on details

Wednesday, 10 September 2008, 10:37 am
Press Release: Community Housing Aotearoa

Community Housing Aotearoa

Media Release, 10 September 2008

National Housing Policy thin on details

The Housing Policy released quietly yesterday by the National Party failed to deliver as much detail as expected by Community Housing Aotearoa.

“The direction signaled in this policy isn’t much different from the status quo, although it is pleasing to see that community housing providers and papakāinga housing have received prominent mentions in the policy,” says Thérèse Quinlivan, Director of Community Housing Aotearoa, an umbrella organisation for the community housing sector.

“Spreading the policy across three simple, somewhat repetitive documents doesn’t really do justice to the complexity of the issues being faced in the housing sector as a whole”.

“Having an Accommodation Supplement that keeps pace with rising rents and regional variations and retaining a policy of income-related rents are both laudable policy commitments. But we still await more policy detail on what National would do over and above the Enabling Territorial Authorities legislation that was received its final reading in Parliament last week, and we still await more detail on what some aspects of this Housing policy might mean in practice,” says Thérèse Quinlivan.

“How exactly, for instance, does National propose to give banks more confidence to back the projects of community housing providers as stated in this policy? And what does this policy mean when it states that both prospective and existing state house tenants will be provided with a ‘more varied menu’?”

“We welcome the promise of a boost to the Housing Innovation Fund but even at $20 million a year this does not represent a large enough commitment to longer-term investment,” says Thérèse Quinlivan. “There is also much common sense in this policy, such as redeveloping under-utilised sections, but it doesn’t deliver a strong vision for the future of housing our communities beyond the limited idea of affordability”.

“We believe we need to move beyond the rhetoric associated with the persistent yet often impractical dream of home ownership for all, or the obsession with housing solely in terms of wealth creation. What we really need is a more genuine emphasis on how to integrate community and social housing stock into a stronger vision for longer-term investment to meet the growth of demand and need for healthy, good quality housing.”

“When the Election campaign proper commences we hope that Housing policy will receive far more attention and critical debate, and that far more light will be shed on the details of each party’s vision for the future of sustainably housing our diverse communities”.

ends 

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Community Housing Aotearoa

Nga Wharerau o Aotearoa

Community Housing Aotearoa is the peak body for New Zealand's community housing sector. Our 110 members build and manage affordable and social housing.

Our Vision is to make sure every New Zealander is well-housed in a warm, safe, dry and affordable home. This is a basic human right.

We work to support the growth and development of community housing providers to enable them to provide affordable and social housing.

We want to demonstrate that community housing is a critical element alongside private and government owned housing. No one can do it alone.

Community Housing Aotearoa aims to:

1. be the voice of the community housing sector
2. build capacity and foster collaboration
3. promote best practice in housing policy
4. champion quality and excellence.

Contact Community Housing Aotearoa

• Website - communityhousing.org.nz/
• Our Place - Learn how we think this can be achieved
• Phone - +64 4 385 8722
• About us - Our 2021 annual report is online here
• Email - support@communityhousing.org.nz
• Link - Members directory
• Physical Address - Level 11, Ranchhod Tower, 39 The Terrace/102-112 Lambton Quay, Wellington