Housing Minister Meets Tenants in Porirua
HousingxHousing Minister Murray McCully today visited the Cannons Creek Fanau Centre in Porirua to meet tutors who will be delivering a new Homebuyer Education Programme to be piloted in the area, and some of the Housing New Zealand (HNZ) tenants interested in attending.
He said the programme will comprise six workshops to help HNZ tenants wanting to buy their home under the Government's Right to Buy scheme to gain an understanding of the advantages and responsibilities of home ownership.
Mr McCully said the workshops will be run by local community organisations such as the Fanau Centre, in partnership with Housing Corporation (HCNZ) which supplies most of the mortgage finance for the Right to Buy scheme.
They will be held initially in Porirua in the New Year and are also being considered for two other North Island towns early next year.
As a reward for graduating from the Homebuyer Education Programme, successful tenants will get their premiums paid for insurance protection of up to five years against the risk of any unforseen major maintenance costs, e.g. drainage, plumbing, electrical or structural design problems.
At the same time that the pilot Homebuyer Education Programmes are implemented, Housing New Zealand staff at the company's 50 Neighbourhood Units throughout the country will gear up to more actively help tenants through the Right to Buy process, assisted by HCNZ financial advisers.