10.10.07 :: Terrence Aschoff, Manager CHRANZ

The Centre for Housing Research, Aotearoa New Zealand (CHRANZ) has released today research that assesses the current and potential contribution of the community housing sector towards addressing housing affordability problems being experienced in New Zealand. The research, by Capital Strategy and SGS Economics and Planning, was funded by CHRANZ.

Key Findings:

The community housing sector in New Zealand is made up of an estimated 160 non-government, not for profit organisations that provide social housing. The sector owns and manages between 3426 and 6713 housing units. There has been an increasing emphasis on growing this sector as a way to provide housing solutions where the government or the market cannot meet demand.

However, the community housing sector is small and emergent. The sector is fragmented, dependent on part time staff and volunteers, and operating a wide range of housing provider models. Many organisations face capacity constraints and lack expertise in finance, management and governance. A significant proportion is also niche focused.

Notwithstanding current constraints the research points to opportunities to strengthen and extend the community housing sector. The authors present two alternative visions for the future of community housing in New Zealand.

Vision 1 – Community housing continues as a niche social housing provider, but with additional resources to improve capacity building, information sharing, and monitoring.

Vision 2 – In addition to its niche role, community housing is supported to rapidly diversify into providing mainstream social housing and solutions for the intermediate housing market including affordable rental housing for moderate and lower income working households.

In both cases, considerable governance and management capability-building will be needed.

A full copy of the research report is available online. A copy of the CHRANZ Research Bulletin is available online.

For further information please contact:

Marcus Spiller
SGS Economics & Planning Pty Ltd
5/171 La Trobe Street
Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia
sgsvic@sgsep.com.au
Phone: 0419 655 282

or

Terrence Aschoff
CHRANZ
terrence.aschoff@chranz.co.nz
Phone: 04 439 3326