24 March 2015

Media release

New Social Housing Strategy adopted

The Strategy, aimed at providing warm, stable and affordable housing for people on low incomes, was adopted at Council yesterday. The Strategy will help meet the needs of people aged 65 plus, people with disabilities, and people who experience barriers to meeting their housing needs in the private market.

Policy analyst Julie Macdonald says the newly adopted Social Housing Strategy endorses the continued provision of social housing for these tenants. “They will also expand to include 92 of the Council’s public housing units,” she said.

“Most of these new units will still be rented out at market rates, but will be for people who experience barriers to meeting their housing needs in the private market.”

Up to 20 of the new units will be subsidised. Current tenants will not be affected by these changes as they will be implemented gradually as vacancies arise.

The Council is the second largest provider of social housing in the City with 311 housing units providing subsidised accommodation for older people on low incomes and people on low incomes who have long term disabilities.

The Strategy also endorses funding to increase the level of social support for tenants, adopts a warrant of fitness scheme for Council’s social housing, and moves forward with the conversion of bedsits to one bedroom units.

“Councillors have indicated their support for the development of more social housing in Palmerston North with a review of potential future models of social housing to be undertaken by the Council and reported back to Councillors within six months,” Julie said.

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