Auckland City Council
Media release
14 December 2007
Housing programme to be renegotiated
The Auckland City Council will renegotiate the scope of an assisted home ownership programme with the New Zealand
Housing Foundation (NZHF), a charitable trust.
The chairperson of the council’s Community Services Committee, Councillor Paul Goldsmith, said that the council’s vote
follows an amicable settlement reached between the new council and trustees of NZHF to negotiate a scaled back
programme.
The previous council resolved to spend $9 million in a programme with the NZHF to subsidise up to around 100 houses in
Auckland city.
In October, council lawyers advised that a change to NZHF’s trust arrangements meant that council could withdraw from
the project. NZHF disputed that assessment.
“The new council sees the provision of housing as a central government responsibility, not the responsibility of
ratepayers,” says Mr Goldsmith. “Given the intense pressures on the council budget, other important projects that are
the core responsibility of Auckland City Council must take precedence.”
“The Foundation’s work is valued in the community and the council has no criticism of the NZHF.
“All parties are pleased to have reached, in principle, a dignified and practical agreement to renegotiate the scope of
the project.
Auckland City Council will allocate the targeted rate already collected for affordable housing towards a programme to be
agreed with the New Zealand Housing Foundation.
Ends