Auckland deal disadvantages Christchurch Council tenants

The news that 1700 Aucklanders will be paying up to $25 less in weekly rent due to a government buyout of Auckland City Council housing has incensed Councillor Carole Anderton, Chair of the Christchurch City Council Housing Sub-Committee.

“This is not on when our Council is being forced to consider increasing rents to enable us to run an affordable-but-sustainable housing portfolio,” she says.

Christchurch City Council Housing is self-funding. To be sustainable its rents must cover the cost of running, maintaining, upgrading and replacing the city’s stock of social housing over time.

“This Council is running its equivalent housing at no cost to the ratepayers or taxpayers,” Cr Anderton says.

“We have asked Government through Local Government New Zealand for financial support which would enable us to lower rents in a similar manner to the Auckland scenario, but this has fallen on deaf ears.

“It is just not fair that our people are being disadvantaged while Aucklanders are let off the hook yet again,” says Cr Anderton.

Cr Anderton’s comments are in response to a press release by Acting Housing Minister Steve Maharey, advising lower rents for tenants of housing formerly owned by the Auckland City Council and purchased by the Government for $82 million.

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