Habitat for Humanity welcomes more information on Government announcement
Habitat for Humanity New Zealand welcomes more information from government regarding its recent announcement to
commence its housing transfer programme in Invercargill and Tauranga.
The housing provider continues to engage constructively with the government, sector partners and all interested parties
to assess the value of this government programme to its mission.
“Habitat for Humanity believes that everyone deserves a simple, decent place to live, and we have a lot of work to do
making that a reality for all New Zealanders,” Habitat CEO Claire Szabó said.
Habitat for Humanity has a 22-year history working throughout New Zealand housing low-income and disaster-affected
families. It sees housing as a process as well as a product, involving the household and wider community in the building
of homes and the ongoing care for tenants.
“We are all aware of the government’s interest in transferring state housing stock and responsibility for tenants to
the community housing sector. The primary consideration of any transfer needs to be the surety of appropriate services
to the housing tenants,” Szabó said.
“The costs of such services then need to be considered alongside the significant financial challenges of managing and
maintaining the housing stock itself.”
“With the significant need in New Zealand, all ideas are on the table. We will always work cooperatively with
government, and anyone committed to housing New Zealanders, to make progress on our vision,” Szabó said.
ENDS