Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Community housing provider concerned at Government


Community housing provider concerned at government announcement


Habitat for Humanity New Zealand is concerned that an announcement to establish a new tax exemption category for potentially deregistered housing charities misses the mark.

Reliant on a misreading of the relevant case law, the government’s announcement is being described as “problematic” and “concerning” by the charity.

Habitat chief executive officer Claire Szabo said since the recent deregistration of a Queenstown-based housing trust, semi-autonomous government agency Charities Services had been looking to review the charitable status of other housing entities, including Habitat for Humanity.

“Of particular interest is whether programmes that assist people into home ownership comply with a definition of charity, such as the alleviation of poverty.”

Ms Szabo said although the Queenstown charity was ultimately deregistered, the judgment noted that “assisting the poor to buy housing… can be charitable”.

“Now joint Ministers Bennett and McClay have put out a statement saying that the judgement found ‘assisting people into home ownership is not charitable’.”

“This is clearly incorrect. We are disappointed that the Ministers have decided to express this view on charitable status, particularly pending decisions of Charities Services about the future of the sector that deserve a fair hearing,” Szabo said.

“It appears to display a critical misunderstanding of the issues of social housing and charitable status. In the context of the wider social housing reform programme, this is deeply concerning,” Szabo said.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“We trust that the Ministers’ expressed views will not impact on our charitable status, and that the facts and nuances of the landmark judgment will been taken into full account,” she said.

The government announcement provided for tax exemptions and donee status for deregistered housing providers that fulfil certain criteria, and introduced an income threshold for the recipients of services of home ownership programmes

“For entities or charities which provide a range of services, like Habitat, the practical implications would require us to make constitutional changes, set up new entities and alter our infrastructure in ways which would be practically unworkable.”

“There are numerous problems with the deregistration of charities which are alleviating poverty through assisted home ownership schemes. And the new categories being proposed for such groups won’t work,” Craig McFarlane, Habitat for Humanity New Zealand Chairman said.

“The government needs to ensure that charities legislation does its job, rather than creating problematic alternatives and work-arounds,” McFarlane said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.