Twenty-two whānau have moved into The Salvation Army’s newest housing development, in Westgate, Auckland.

Te Manaaki Tāngata is the second of three Salvation Army housing builds funded in part by Community Finance loans in the form of bonds, and via a 25-year rental contract with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. Te Hōnonga Tāngata at Royal Oak opened last November, and a 46-unit build in Flatbush will be completed in January 2021. The Salvation Army is committed to getting people off the Social Housing Register and into secure, warm, dry homes.

With its twenty, two-bedroom units and two, one-bedroom units, Te Manaaki Tāngata is the centre of a new community, connected to the Westgate Salvation Army centre. Tenants are supported by a tenancy manager and chaplain. Westgate is an area of huge growth and Te Manaaki Tāngata is on public transport routes and is close to schools, shops and other facilities.

“We want to give people the opportunity to be involved in a thriving community and to have links with support organisations like The Salvation Army and other social services,” Salvation Army Social Housing Director Greg Foster says.

Te Manaaki Tāngata has been designed with warmth in mind, utilising SIPS – Structural Insulated Panels. Along with a heat-transfer system, the panels will ensure the houses are warm and dry and, importantly, heating costs should be lower for tenants.

The Salvation Army was grateful to receive a $15m investment from the Generate KiwiSaver Fund and it will go a long way to ensuring a timely completion of Te Manaaki Tāngata and the continuation of further projects.

Generate KiwiSaver was paired with The Salvation Army through Community Finance, which helps to raise low-cost finance to New Zealand’s Community Housing Providers. Community Finance operates by matching investors with specific projects. Through Community Finance, $34.4m has now been advanced to The Salvation Army.

Mr Foster says the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Community Finance partnership is a vital part of steering The Salvation Army’s social housing development plans to fruition. Foundation North, Tindall Foundation, Lindsey Foundation are amongst the investors in the bond to date.

Community Finance CEO James Palmer said, “We exist to raise affordable debt on terms that work for those organisations with proven track records who are paving the way for social and environmental change in New Zealand. We act like a bridge between ethical money and great outcomes. We are thrilled to partner with Generate KiwiSaver as a leading investor in this initiative, which will enable more life-changing work to be done in providing houses for families in need”.

This project represents a significant commitment from The Salvation Army to develop new housing on their land holdings in urban centres across the country.

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