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Hundreds of families in the Hawkes Bay will be helped through the Government’s social housing plans for the region, Ministers say.

“We’ve made a commitment to help New Zealanders find their feet when times are tough, and our plans for the Hawkes Bay will do just that,” Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

Plans for 195 social housing places and 129 short-term transitional housing places will benefit around 711 local families a year.

The $7 million redevelopment of Jebson Place means warmer and safer houses for the Hamilton community, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams announced today.

Work will begin later this year to build up to 71 brand new homes at the Jebson Place site in Hamilton East.

Housing New Zealand will invest around $7 million to build and retain at least 26 new homes as social housing, with the remaining 45 houses being developed by Waikato-Tainui.

Almost 220 new social and transitional places are on the way for Tauranga and Papamoa, the Government has today confirmed.

“We’re on track to have 68 short term transitional housing places available in Tauranga and Papamoa by the end of the year. This will mean we can support up to 272 families in Tauranga and Papamoa every year while long term solutions are found,” says Ms Adams.

“Of those 68 places, 21 places are already open.

A new $12 million transitional housing complex on Puhinui Road in Auckland will help house up to 560 families a year, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams has announced.

The 72-unit building is part of the Government’s $354 million support to help 8600 families every year with transitional housing – 3660 of which will be in Auckland.

New Zealand’s biggest housing development at Hobsonville Point has marked its 1000th new home, Social Housing and Housing New Zealand Minister Amy Adams announced today.

Ms Adams was in Hobsonville Point today with Upper Harbour MP Paula Bennett to welcome the proud new owners of the 1000th house.

In the next three years, 12,000 new houses will be built across Auckland as the first stage of the Government’s Crown Building Project gets underway, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

These houses are part of the Government’s 34,000 new houses for Auckland to be built in the next ten years, announced by Ms Adams last month.

Budget 2017 will include $100 million in new capital funding to allow vacant or under-utilised Crown land to be freed up for additional housing developments, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

“The Government has committed to building 34,000 new houses in Auckland over the next 10 years and the Crown Land Development Programme is contributing land for 2700 of those houses,” Ms Adams says.

Budget 2017 will provide $185 million of new operating over the next four years and $20 million of capital for housing support for New Zealanders in need, in addition to the Accommodation Supplement changes contained within the Family Incomes Package, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

“The National-led Government is providing extensive housing support to less well-off households every day. This year, we will spend $2.3 billion supporting 310,000 households with accommodation in one way or another,” Ms Adams says.

The construction of 100 new homes on land formerly set aside by NZTA for roading can now begin, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams announced today at the sod-turning in New North Road Mt Albert.

In October 2016 the Government signed an agreement with Marutūāhu Rōpū and Ockham Residential Limited for the development as part of the move to repurpose vacant land for new houses in Auckland.

Thank you Ashley Church and can I thank the Property Institute for hosting this event.  I would also like to acknowledge:

• Adrienne Young-Cooper, Board Chair of Housing NZ
• Andrew McKenzie, Chief Executive of HNZ
• Chris Aiken, Chief Executive of HLC

I would like to thank you all for being here today and for your on-going interest in the important subject of housing in Auckland.

The Government today has announced a Crown land and building programme that will see tens of thousands of new houses built in Auckland over the next decade.

Social Housing Minister Amy Adams announced that the Government’s Crown Building Project will replace 8300 old, rundown houses in Auckland with 34,000 brand new purpose-built houses over 10 years. 24,300 of these will be built by Housing New Zealand through their Auckland Housing Programme.

Over the next ten years, the Crown Building Project will deliver around:

The Government has secured 870 transitional places providing housing for 3480 households a year for around 10,000 New Zealanders in need of warm and safe housing, with a further 728 places a year set to be available by winter, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

“With winter approaching, the demand for warm, safe housing will peak. We are focused on having a significant number of housing places available for those who need it,” says Ms Adams.

Forty-three new two-bedroom houses will be built in Hamilton by the end of July, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams has announced.

“Hamilton is experiencing a rapid growth in demand for social housing from single people, couples and small families,” Ms Adams says.

“Around 70 per cent of the people on the social housing register for Hamilton need a one- or two-bedroom home. However, these homes make up only 50 per cent of Housing New Zealand’s Hamilton portfolio.

The Government spent $550 million over the last three months to support New Zealanders with a roof over their heads – the equivalent of $6.2 million every day.

Social Housing Minister Amy Adams released the new Social Housing Quarterly Report for the March 2017 quarter, which shows that wait times are down and more people are being helped into a warm, safe place to stay.

Government funding that was committed to assist the Christchurch City Council in their housing objectives will be used to establish a shared equity home ownership initiative, says Social Housing Minister Amy Adams.

The Government committed funding in Budget 2015 to support the Christchurch City Council to achieve their housing objectives. The council has decided to use $3 million of this funding to establish the Christchurch Housing Fund to help Christchurch residents on modest incomes to buy their own home.

Today the Government issued an Expression of Interest to Community Housing Providers interested in taking over ownership of up to 2500 social houses in Christchurch. As part of this deal, the new provider will be required to provide at least 150 additional new social housing places.

“We want to see a diverse field of entities providing social housing to ensure the best responses for tenants. In addition, the transfer programme enables even more social houses to be provided across New Zealand,” says Social Housing Minister Amy Adams.

The Government’s plan to develop 12 old houses into 44 new social housing is moving at pace in Auckland.

Social Housing Minster Amy Adams and Associate Social Housing Minister Alfred Ngaro were onsite in Mt Wellington to see first-hand four Housing New Zealand developments on the go in Auckland.

From next month, Accessible Properties will take over 1138 social houses and tenancies owned by Housing New Zealand.

“This is the first regional, large-scale transfer of Government-owned social houses to a community housing provider. They are a major plank of our plan to improve social housing,” says Social Housing Minister Amy Adams.

A new initiative aimed at ending homelessness in Auckland has officially kicked off.

Today Social Housing Minister Amy Adams and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff launched Housing First Auckland, which aims to house 472 homeless Aucklanders and provide wrap-around services to address the causes of their homelessness.

More families will have a warm and safe place to stay in times of need with the opening of the first stages of an emergency housing development in Otahuhu, Auckland.

The 43-house Luke Street transitional housing development was officially opened today by Prime Minister Bill English.

“Luke Street is the first HNZ purpose built emergency housing development under the Government’s $303.6 million emergency housing funding announced in November 2016,” Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

Some of Wellington’s most vulnerable will benefit from a new emergency housing service now open thanks to the Government’s backing, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

Operated by Oasis Network Inc, Hillary Court in Naenae will see up to 15 single males at a time housed and provided with wraparound social services to help them get back on their feet.

Ms Adams opened the facility and met residents today alongside Associate Social Housing Minister Alfred Ngaro and local MP Chris Bishop.

A new pilot programme is underway to help at-risk social housing tenants hold onto their tenancies, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams said today.

Under the Sustaining Tenancies Initiative, tenants with complex or serious needs who may be at risk of losing their tenancy will receive practical support from community providers to help get back on track.

An increase in the housing register underscores the importance of the Government’s social housing reform programme and its $344 million commitment to additional emergency housing places, Social Housing Minister Amy Adams says.

“We have a comprehensive social housing plan in place, and we’ve moved quickly to provide more emergency and social housing,” Ms Adams says.

The number of people and families seeking social housing on the Housing Register at the end of December was 4771, up 169 or about 3.7 per cent on the previous quarter.

Social Housing Minister Amy Adams has today welcomed data showing new help introduced by the Government is creating tangible support for struggling New Zealanders.

For the first time, the Ministry of Social Development’s quarterly benefit fact sheets have included figures on uptake of the Emergency Housing Special Needs Grant (SNG), introduced in July 2016.