Minister welcomes plan for more social housing

Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett has welcomed the release of the Ministry of Social Development’s Purchasing Strategy for social housing, saying it gives providers direction and certainty.

The strategy, released today, gives detailed information for providers and outlines the ministry’s plans for extra social housing over the next four years.

“The Ministry of Social Development’s Purchasing Strategy is an important part of the Government’s comprehensive housing plan. The document gives detailed information about areas of high and low demand, contracting and funding arrangements, and how many and where the ministry plans on obtaining more social housing,” Mrs Bennett says.

“This information is critical for community housing providers to make decisions on where they should be focusing their attention on creating more supply. It also gives them more certainty around funding and contracting into the future so that they can make decisions with confidence.

“It is important to remember that the plans in this strategy are not set in stone – they are a guideline and the information will be reviewed regularly to ensure we are meeting our aim to housing the right people, in the right place, for the right price and for the right amount of time.

“The Ministry of Social Development has indicated the need for more than 6400 additional social housing places over the next four years. This sends a strong signal to the market that the Government is serious in its intentions to house those most in need. We want providers to work with us to achieve that goal,” Mrs Bennett says.