Wellington City Council and founding Trustees have officially established Wellington’s new community housing trust.

The new trust will support the long-term provision of social and affordable housing in Wellington. When operational later in 2023, it will provide housing and tenancy services for 3,200 tenants and manage the Council’s portfolio of 2,000 properties.

“Today is a significant milestone in achieving the housing outcomes we want in the city,” said Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau at the signing last week. “The Council has been providing social housing in the city since the 1950s and the creation of the trust continues this proud history.”

A major focus in the Council’s decision last year to transition its service to a Community Housing Provider was to increase the city’s social housing supply and to continue to ensure the wellbeing of tenants through the provision of warm, dry housing and high-quality tenancy services.

The trust will be governed by a Board of nine Trustees, six of whom are the trust’s founding Trustees and settled the trust in partnership with the Council. The founding Trustees are:

· Andrew Turner (Chair)

· Matthew Harker

· Carolyn van Leuven (Te Āti Awa)

· Liz Kelly (Ngāti Toa Rangatira)

· Councillor Rebecca Matthews

· Councillor Tim Brown

Board Chair Andrew Turner said “the Board is looking forward to working alongside the Council as we transition this service over the next few months. As Trustees, we are all passionate about the role social housing plays in supporting thriving families and communities.”

Recruitment for the remaining three Trustees and the trust’s Chief Executive are underway and the transfer of the Council’s social housing service to the trust is expected to take effect later this year. The trust is expected to be named next month.

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