Friday 15 February 2013

Progress with Council's social housing programme outlined

Christchurch City Council staff are working on plans to build 22 new social housing units on vacant land in existing complexes and expect to have completed repairs on more than 170 units by the end of this year.

At a Community, Recreation and Culture Committee workshop held today, staff outlined progress with the Council's social housing assessment and repair programme, which is part of its Facilities Rebuild Plan programme.

Community, Recreation and Culture Committee (CRaC) Chairman Yani Johanson says the committee welcomed the opportunity to hear the progress being made and asked staff to report back on whether the social housing repair process could be fast tracked further.

"Rebuilding and repairing Council's social housing is a top priority. At today's workshop, councillors asked staff to report back with recommendations on whether the repair process could be sped up and any barriers to this. I look forward to receiving this report at the 5 March CraC committee meeting.

"As the pressure on housing continues to grow, it is important more is done to alleviate the impact on those who are being hit hardest, namely the most vulnerable in our society, many of whom need social housing."

At today's workshop, councillors heard that:

* Staff have prepared a report to be presented to the next Community, Recreation and Culture Committee (CRaC) meeting on 5 March regarding two proposals to increase the number of units on two existing social housing complexes, Knightsbridge Lane in Aranui and Maurice Carter Courts in Spreydon. Under these proposals, 12 new units would be built on vacant land at Maurice Carter Courts and 10 new units at Knightsbridge Lane. The CRaC committee will make a recommendation regarding these proposals to the full Council meeting on 28 March.

* Six Council social housing units that were previously closed have been repaired and re-opened. Repairs have also been completed on another 109 units between tenancies.

* Subject to Council approval, the Council's Facilities Rebuild project team has committed to repairing and re-opening 70 closed units in complexes across the city by Christmas 2013. It will also repair another 102 units in complexes across the city that people are currently living in. For more information see the workshop agenda: http://resources.ccc.govt.nz/files/TheCouncil/meetingsminutes/agendas/20 13/February/CRACWorkshopAgenda15Feb2013.pdf . The Council's priority is repairing units that currently cannot be occupied and repairs are being carried out on a complex-by-complex basis.

* Alongside ramping up its repair process, the Council is continuing to carry out Detailed Engineering Evaluation (DEE) assessments of its social housing complexes, which will be completed by April 2014. DEE assessments are carried out on individual blocks within each social housing complex and can therefore take up to two months to complete. The assessments are being carried out to determine which social units should not be occupied for health and safety reasons.

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