Staff Reporter
Auckland, July 21, 2022
Community Housing Aotearoa has welcomed the announcement of the Affordable Housing Fund, which will provide much-needed capital grants to community housing providers.
Community Housing Aotearoa Chief Executive Victoria (Vic) Crockford said that the government must intensify efforts to get more affordable rentals built and that the Affordable Housing Fund, which will fund up to 50% of project costs for affordable rental developments, is a good start.
“Many households are finding it extremely difficult to pay rent and the impact of that is a swelling transitional housing waitlist and too many of our children in temporary accommodation, unable to put down roots. The Affordable Housing Fund will make a difference in their lives,” she said.
Options to communities
The community housing sector provides many housing options to communities all around the country, with more than 40 years of expertise in delivering long-term, affordable rentals.
Such expertise makes the sector best placed to administer the Fund, Ms Crockford said.
“Community housing providers are in it for the long haul; they are focused every day on how they can do more to get more affordable homes built and more people out of homelessness and into secure, healthy places to call home. As well as being experts at affordable developments, community housing providers are committed to walking alongside people in their housing journey, whether that be through social support services, financial education, car sharing or digital literacy. They are proud to build and be part of intentional, thriving communities and are absolutely best placed to deliver on the Affordable Housing Fund,” she said.
Ms Crockford said that capital funding is available to community housing providers for more than six years and that those in the target regions are waiting with projects in the pipeline.
“Just one community housing provider in Wellington has over 150 homes in their pipeline and there are many more across the six target regions looking forward to boost capital,” she said.
