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The Government is proposing to transfer up to 2500 social houses in Christchurch to community housing providers (CHPs), Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett have announced.

The Government is progressing its ambitious Social Housing Reform Programme and the Housing New Zealand (HNZ) owned properties in Christchurch are the second tranche to be proposed for transfer, following the appointment of Accessible Properties as the preferred provider for 1124 properties and tenancies in Tauranga. 

A proposal to transfer the ownership and management of Housing New Zealand (HNZ) properties in Horowhenua will not proceed at this time, the Minister Responsible for Housing New Zealand, Bill English says.

The Government has spent a number of months considering a proposal from Horowhenua District Council (HDC) to explore a joint transfer of council-owned flats and HNZ properties and tenancies to a community housing provider (CHP).

The council proposed to ‘package’ its 115 pensioner units in Foxton, Levin and Shannon with 249 HNZ properties.

Housing New Zealand lodged 60 resource consent applications in the last quarter which, if approved, will build houses for over 3000 people in Auckland, Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett say.

Housing New Zealand’s Asset Development Group has lodged the consents to build 1297 new houses, which will have the potential to accommodate more than 3200 people in 20 suburbs across the city.

The Government will redevelop 300 existing Housing New Zealand (HNZ) properties into about 1200 new homes in Northcote, Ministers Bill English and Dr Nick Smith have announced.

The Minister Responsible for Housing New Zealand, Bill English, says the $750 million project will transform the existing 300 properties into about 1200 warmer, drier and healthier homes with a better mix of size and type.

“The number of HNZ homes will increase from 300 to 400 and a further 600-800 properties will be sold as a mix of affordable and market housing.”

IHC subsidiary Accessible Properties has been chosen as the preferred provider to take over the ownership of Housing New Zealand’s properties in Tauranga, Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett say.

Accessible Properties was one of three shortlisted respondents asked to submit a formal proposal to purchase the 1124 properties and take over the management of their tenancies.

The Government is now working with Accessible Properties to finalise the agreement. It is expected negotiations will be completed by October with a final decision to be made shortly after.

Invitations for expressions of interest (EOI) in the Tāmaki redevelopment reaffirm the Government’s commitment to a large-scale transformation of housing in Auckland, Ministers Bill English and Dr Nick Smith say.

The redevelopment of 2500 state-owned houses in the area is being led by the Tāmaki Regeneration Company (TRC), a joint venture between Auckland Council and the Government.  

The Government has a wide range of work underway to progress social housing reforms that will help the community housing sector grow and innovate, Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett say.

The Government is committed to transferring between 1000-2000 properties to registered community housing providers this year under its Social Housing Reform Programme.

Housing New Zealand is already building more homes than the Greens’ rushed policy proposed, and additional social houses are also being sourced from Community Housing Providers, Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett say.

“The Government takes seriously its responsibility to provide suitable social housing for our most vulnerable. We have made it a priority to deliver more social houses by speeding up Housing New Zealand’s development programme, and sourcing more homes from Community Housing Providers,” Housing New Zealand Minister Bill English says.

The transfer of ownership of thousands of houses today marks a significant step in regenerating the Tāmaki area and improving the stock of social and affordable housing in Auckland, Ministers Bill English and Dr Nick Smith say.

The ownership and management of about 2800 Housing NZ properties in Tāmaki will today be formally transferred to the Tāmaki Regeneration Company (TRC), which is jointly owned by the Crown and Auckland Council. 

The Government has requested formal proposals from four respondents looking to purchase and manage social houses in Tauranga and Invercargill, Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett say.

As announced last January, the Government proposes to transfer 1,000 to 2,000 Housing New Zealand Corporation houses and tenancies to registered Community Housing Providers.

The shortlisted respondents are the Pact Group for Invercargill, and Accessible Properties, Hapori Connect Tauranga and Kainga Community Housing Partners for Tauranga.