March 20, 2002

It will be 20 years before Auckland City has sold all its pensioner houses.

Auckland City Council today agreed to a long-term plan that will ultimately see central government taking over the responsibility for providing subsidised housing.

"We are guaranteeing life-time tenures for existing tenants, and in order to do that it will take 20 years until all the units can be sold," says chairperson of the Community Services committee, Councillor Graeme Mulholland.

He says the council is adamant that any change in policy has minimal effect on existing tenants.

“We are giving them a life-time guarantee that they will have a roof over their heads as long as they want.

"We also want to make sure the standard of accommodation we provide is suitable for pensioners. Some empty council units, which are unsuitable for the elderly, have already been offered for sale. The tenants have been relocated to modern units in Auckland.”

He says the council is against leaving tenants in isolated units that would compromise their security. Those tenants who might be left in large blocks would be moved to more suitable accommodation.

Mr Mulholland says that over the long term the council will act in a manner that is “fair and equitable to all ratepayers.”

"In Auckland city there are pensioners who live in their own homes and still have mortgages and have to pay rates.”

He says the council is providing subsidised housing for only 1600 out of the 120,000 pensioners living in Auckland city.

ENDS

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