Fledgling Community Housing Sector Put On The Chopping Block

Community housing supporters are concerned this week that the Minister of Housing has unilaterally decided to withdraw funding for Community Housing Aotearoa (CHA), the fledgling national organisation for the community housing sector.

No formal announcement has been made by the Minister of Housing, Phil Heatley, about this decision or the processes leading to the decision.

The decision has cut the Grant committed to by the previous Government, and only gives CHA until June 2009 to line itself to Housing New Zealand policies and negotiate some form of new contract.

This flies in the fact of the development of community housing as a viable part of the housing mix and as an alternative to State Housing. It makes a mockery of any idea that the Minister is fully supportive of the community housing sector.

ENDS

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