Hornby Housing Complex

September 15 2001Speech Notes
·Kia ora, talofa lava, greetings to you all

·Acknowledge Mayor Gary Moore, local councillor Lesley Keast and Carole Anderton, chair of the council's housing working group

·Congratulate work of Christchurch City Council for this complex of 22 units for older people, including two designed specifically for physically disabled

·This complex is indicative of the Council's wider vision. With 2600 units the council is New Zealand's second largest landlord, after Housing NZ.

·And the vision does not stop at bricks and mortar, the council takes an active interest in the welfare of its tenants. The council is be commended for that.

·The council's vision contrasts strongly with the attitude of other councils around NZ. Many don't see housing as their core business, while others are struggling to meet demand and maintain their current stock. Christchurch is one of the very few that consider low cost rental accommodation as a core part of their business, and as this complex demonstrates, are actively expanding their stock.

·That vision is shared by this government. Decent, affordable housing for low income families and those in serious need has been, and continues to be, a top priority for us. We are replenishing the state housing supply, with 568 houses acquired since we came into office and a net total of 678 to be acquired this financial year. We are also upgrading existing stock with $44 million to be spent on modernisation this year.

·We are also working in partnership with local communities and with councils such as Christchurch City to foster housing solutions that work for everyone. The community renewal project at Aranui here in Christchurch is one example of this. There Housing NZ and the local community are working together not just on housing issues, but also considering the community's health, education, employment and social services needs.

·Another local example of this government's focus on partnerships is the memorandum of understanding signed between Christchurch City Council and Housing New Zealand. This is the first such agreement in the country, and I am hopeful more will follow. It means that both organisations will co-ordinate efforts to meet Christchurch's housing needs.

·In these ways the government is working to meet the housing needs of those who can least afford private housing and those in serious need. Thank you for inviting me here today so I could see in person that the Christchurch City Council shares this commitment.

ends