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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. 

Targeted early intervention and a Social Investment approach is being reflected in the steadily improving Better Public Services (BPS) Results, Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett say.

The Government has released the BPS mid-year report which outlines the progress being made against the 10 challenging Results set by the Prime Minister in 2012.

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.

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.

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 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.

Student achievement is ahead of target, welfare dependence continues to fall, immunisation rates are growing and child abuse rates are stabilising, Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett say.

The Government has released the latest update of the Better Public Services (BPS) Results, outlining their progress against the ten challenging targets set by the Prime Minister in 2012.