New Council Needs to Urgently Address Housing Policy

Waitakere housing and social services organisations are calling on candidates seeking election to the new Auckland Council to put housing at the top of its social policy agenda.

Community organisations involved with Waitakere Housing Call to Action are concerned that no mention is made of how the new council will be involved in addressing Auckland’s impending housing crisis. Recent research[i] has shown that Auckland will require an additional 6,500 rental units every year, plus an additional 1,300 social housing units. However, Auckland has not been able to keep up with the demand for housing, creating a shortfall of 6,300 dwellings over the past three years.

“Affordable and quality housing in the Auckland region is of critical importance to the development of the region, and the quality of life for families living within it,” says Lisa Woolley, spokesperson for Waitakere Housing Call to Action. “We need concerted action from the new Council to work with central government and community housing organisations to make a real difference in meeting the huge and diverse housing needs of our growing population” .

The group wants action in the following areas:
District Plan requirements that ensure sufficient numbers of affordable and quality housing are built, which conform to world class urban design, including proximity to good public transport linkages.
Social housing development for our most vulnerable residents including ‘emergency housing’ provision to occur through the Auckland Council, partnering with community housing providers, and central government. This could include land and loan guarantees. Partnership agreements recognise this as a socially and economically viable option.
Undertake a regular Auckland wide housing needs assessment to ensure the right kinds of housing are developed to meet Auckland’s diverse population requirements.

It also wants :
• Change consent processes and development contributions to assist the development of social housing provision.
• Increase the numbers of quality social housing units for older adults
• Expand the existing Council sustainable home insulation programmes to help more Aucklanders stay warm and well
• Gift portions of Auckland Council owned land for the provision of affordable and social housing
• Introduce a Warrant of Fitness (WOF) for all rental houses in the region.
• Advocate to central government for greater security of tenure for rental accommodation.”

“Aucklanders should look for candidates who want to make a difference to Auckland’s sorry state of housing and who have a strong commitment to social policy action in the new Council,” says Lisa Woolley.

ENDS

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