Community housing sector looks forward to innovation

Friday, 28 June 2019, 1:56 pm
Press Release: Community Housing Aotearoa

Community housing sector looks forward to innovation and action following Cabinet reshuffle

While welcoming the appointment of new Housing Minister Megan Woods as part of an expanded team of Ministers addressing the housing crisis, Community Housing Aotearoa hopes that the rhetoric will now be backed up with practical action.

“The community housing sector has always been about taking innovative approaches when old models have failed. We share Prime Minister Ardern’s frustration at the lack of progress in achieving her government’s vision for housing.

“The community housing sector now looks forward to working closely with Kris Faafoi, the newly-appointed associate minister with special responsibility for public housing,” says CHA chief executive Scott Figenshow.

“We also look forward to hearing more from Housing Minister Megan Woods on the KiwiBuild reset, which we hope will include the KiwiBuy programme, just one of several community housing sector initiatives,” says Mr Figenshow.

“This would be one practical step towards ensuring all New Zealanders are well-housed.”

“While housing ministers have come and gone over the past 20 or so years, the community housing sector has stayed resolutely focused on providing affordable housing for New Zealanders for whom traditional models have failed.

“The creation of the new ministerial roles demonstrates both the size and complexity of the issue as well as the need to look at the whole housing system.

“The Prime Minister has clearly indicated a new approach is needed, and she wants to tackle the ‘full breadth’ of housing issues. The community housing sector agrees wholeheartedly.

“Let’s get on with it, together, while holding Minister Woods, Associate Minister Faafoi and their colleagues and her team accountable for helping to ensure New Zealanders in challenging and disadvantaged circumstances can get access to decent, affordable housing,” says Mr Figenshow.

ENDS

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Community Housing Aotearoa

Nga Wharerau o Aotearoa

Community Housing Aotearoa is the peak body for New Zealand's community housing sector. Our 110 members build and manage affordable and social housing.

Our Vision is to make sure every New Zealander is well-housed in a warm, safe, dry and affordable home. This is a basic human right.

We work to support the growth and development of community housing providers to enable them to provide affordable and social housing.

We want to demonstrate that community housing is a critical element alongside private and government owned housing. No one can do it alone.

Community Housing Aotearoa aims to:

1. be the voice of the community housing sector
2. build capacity and foster collaboration
3. promote best practice in housing policy
4. champion quality and excellence.

Contact Community Housing Aotearoa

• Website - communityhousing.org.nz/
• Our Place - Learn how we think this can be achieved
• Phone - +64 4 385 8722
• About us - Our 2021 annual report is online here
• Email - support@communityhousing.org.nz
• Link - Members directory
• Physical Address - Level 11, Ranchhod Tower, 39 The Terrace/102-112 Lambton Quay, Wellington