Community housing development opens

It follows legislation passed last year that allowed the Government to partner with community housing providers to extend the variety of social housing.

Community housing providers are now eligible to receive a subsidy, which means they will be able to provide income-related rents to high-needs tenants.

Subsidised rents had previously only been available to Housing New Zealand tenants.

Housing Minister Nick Smith said: “The Government has contributed $4.3 million from the Social Housing Fund’s $141 million to enable these homes to be built. The fund was established as part of the Government’s housing reforms to expand the community housing sector as part of a more diverse approach to the provision of social housing.

“I commend the partnership of the Airedale Property Trust, Tongan Methodist Church of Māngere and the LIFEWISE Trust for delivering this Matanikolo community housing project. Its success lies in not just providing housing, but other social services to support these families.”

He said: “The successful completion of this project is evidence of the growing momentum of the Government’s housing reform programme. We are successfully growing the community housing sector, we are getting far more homes built through the private sector, and we are addressing the fundamentals that will make future housing more affordable.”