Government brokers to match landlords with tenants

Friday 14 February 2020

A newly established housing broker service will be reaching out to private landlords to get them on board to support the government’s $300 million homelessness action plan.

By Miriam Bell

Launched by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday, the Aotearoa New Zealand Homelessness Action Plan aims to reduce and prevent homelessness in order to help over 10,000 people.

As part of the plan, 1,000 new transitional housing places will be delivered by the end of year to reduce the demand for emergency motel accommodation. Those places are on top of the 1,300  places already created.

To ensure parity with other tenants in social housing, a 25% of income payment will also be introduced for people staying in motels for longer than seven days.

Associate Housing Minister Kris Faafoi says the plan aims to both prevent people becoming homeless in the first place and reduce the reliance on motels for emergency accommodation by increasing the supply of transitional housing.

“Over $70 million in this package is dedicated to programmes that are proven to work in helping vulnerable New Zealander’s to stay in their homes and not end up on the streets.”

Of this $25.6 million will go to the Sustaining Tenancies programme which helps those at risk of losing their rental with practical support - including budget advice, property maintenance, and mental health and addiction support - so they can remain in their tenancy.

But, in order to move people from motels into transitional housing and support them to stay in rental housing, the government urgently needs more housing stock.

And while the government is building, and also buying, properties for social housing and expects to have provided about 6400 extra homes by June 2022, it will also need to rent privately held properties.

Government agencies, like Kainga Ora (formerly Housing NZ), and community housing providers (CHPs) are already reaching out to private rental property owners.

However, as part of the new plan, $8.67 million has been allotted to allow the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to introduce housing broker roles.

The housing brokers will build connections with private landlords and property managers, promote MSD clients as potential tenants, and match people with housing opportunities in the private rental market.

MSD clients who are in emergency housing or on the public housing register who are likely to be able to sustain a private market tenancy, with the right support, will be targeted by the service.

To this end, MSD will get $740,000 extra funding for programmes to help people gain the skills, knowledge and credibility they need to gain a home in the private rental market.

The plan has been welcomed by community housing providers across the board, with Community Housing Aotearoa (CHA) chief executive Scott Figenshow saying it will make a significant difference in many people’s lives.

Private landlords who are interested in providing rental properties for social housing are being encouraged to make contact with the Ministry of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), Kainga Ora or a local community housing provider.

A list of community housing providers is available from the Community Housing Regulatory Authority here, while the CHA have a list of their members here. 

Comments from our readers

On 14 February 2020 at 1:29 pm OJT44 said:
Persecute private landlords! No wait we need them.Too high risk for us sorry.
On 15 February 2020 at 5:59 am Property Leader said:
I note no extra money will be applied to pay for damage or missed rent? Why should private landlords be paid less than social housing providers. This is discrimination on basis of employment.
On 15 February 2020 at 11:43 am Alan W said:
Can the government not work out that if one of their 'homeless' and 'supported' families goes into a private rental, that is one non-subsidised, unsupported family that cannot. The number of families housed is still the same, it is just who they are that changes. This will allow the government to promote themselves as having housed a number of homeless families, at the expense of the same number of previously housed families who are now unhoused. Smoke and mirrors electioneering. I also agree that it would be too high risk, even if our wonderful long-term tenants decided to move.
On 15 February 2020 at 1:32 pm anita smith said:
Election year to come up with a plan!!! and property investors to help!!! yeah right. What we need is Social housing 10 apartments with elevator, people matched as needed, so no extras can free load into apartment, and people moved as their needs change. With no lawns to mow, but provide a sizable space for children to play or bbq etc. The provider mows lawns and takes away rubbish etc. Hopefully this way, the space looks reasonable tidy and land use is minimised!!! There must be so many maraes around the country that could also provide social housing for the whanau as needed. For Homeless people, a high rise apartment block, single rooms self-contained, (could be an old hotel complex) Social/Christian groups could look at this, government needs to stop talking about it and do some action or should I say more spin.
On 16 February 2020 at 7:40 am Property Leader said:
Yesterday I evicted three older men from a small flat they have rented off me for the last 20 years. They were drug dealers and a long way in arrears. They are all now homeless. So far I have taken away 30 cu m of rubbish and have at least another 10 cm to got. It will cost about $30000 to fix up the place. What is the government going to do to help me or my old tenants who will now be living on the street.
On 18 February 2020 at 2:05 pm AT HOME said:
Bleeding hearts of the world unite.What is totally insane is that the Labour government think that they will get help from private investors after they have targeted them. What is more insane is that we are throwing money at helping these individuals who are "homeless" and in emergency housing largely because of poor life choices. The vast majority of people in emergency housing would be tenants that private investors would turn away.So these tenants would be thrown into properties now under a community housing company and private investors would end up with the very tenants they do not wish to house.So lets rather spend some money on educating these tenants to become better quality tenants and not keep providing while they don"t take ownership of their consequences brought on because of their actions. Perhaps its time for Labour to be given the choices have consequences talk.

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