Awareness raising campaign to focus on the ‘third sector’ of housing
Community Housing Aotearoa, New Zealand’s umbrella group for community housing organisations, has begun preparations for a 2011 campaign to raise awareness of what is often called the ‘third sector’ of housing.
“One of the biggest issues facing not-for-profit housing organisations and charitable housing trusts in this country is that the broad spectrum of housing options provided by the community sector is not well understood,” said David McCartney, Executive Officer of Community Housing Aotearoa (CHA).
“After our annual general meeting this month it was decided that we would tackle that issue by running a Community Housing Awareness campaign next year which will feature a Community Housing Awareness week (in the week of 21-25 March) as well as a poster campaign and related activity with our 120 member groups nationwide”.
“Raising public awareness of housing options provided by community-based organisations has taken on an even greater priority now that the National-led Government is on the verge of confirming its preferred policy direction for social housing,” said David McCartney.
“On behalf of our members, Community Housing Aotearoa has now written to the Housing Minister and his Cabinet colleagues signaling that we are prepared to play our part in any changes that lie ahead for the wider social housing sector”.
“As endorsed by the Housing Minister Phil Heatley, the work carried out this year by the Ministerial Housing Advisory Group has put a large emphasis on the role that community housing organisations will have to play in a future where State Housing is just one of many types of social housing”.
“We believe that our awareness raising campaign is necessary to ensure that the wider New Zealand public understand what community housing organisations have to offer and to raise the level of knowledge about the diversity of housing options which make up the ‘third sector’ of housing”.
ENDS