The waiting list for assistance from the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT) is continuing to grow despite COVID-19 resetting rental prices across the district.

Before the pandemic hit New Zealand shores, QLCHT had a waiting list of 600 qualifying households. This now sits at 740 households, despite the fact that rents have reduced by up to 30% throughout the district.

On top of this, the Trust has housed 48 households in new homes over the past two months in its Toru and Hikuwai developments, in Queenstown and Wānaka respectively.

Trust executive officer Julie Scott says the increase in requests for assistance is largely down to reduced incomes amongst many households across the district thanks to the impacts of COVID-19.

"When the borders closed there was a huge effect on the local economy, and as a result we've seen a number of new households come on to our waiting list, who were not under housing stress previously.

“Whilst the respite in rental prices has been welcomed by many, there's a high number of residents throughout the district who have experienced either complete loss of income, or a partial reduction through reduced hours.”

Scott says that about 50% of the waiting list is made up of families with children, while couples and singles comprise 30% and 20% of the waiting list respectively.

“The breakdown of the waiting list reveals that housing issues are not just confined to families, but numerous demographics within the community. This is one key reason why we purchased the 50 one- and two-bedroom Toru apartments in Remarkables Park. We will continue to ensure we provide a range of housing to satisfy the various cohorts on our waiting list.”

About 80% of the waiting list is Queenstown-based, while the remaining 20% is Wanaka-based.

Established to manage and deliver affordable housing solutions to residents who cannot afford it, QLCHT has several programmes in place to help low-to-moderate income households including public housing, assisted rental, rent-to-buy, and assisted ownership.

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