INDEPENDENT NEWS

Ministers open Māngere housing development

Published: Thu 13 Feb 2014 09:54 AM
Hon Dr Nick Smith
Minister of Housing
Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
Minister of Pacific Island Affairs
13 February 2014 Media Statement
Ministers open Māngere housing development
Twenty-two new affordable rental houses were opened in Māngere, Auckland today by Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Pacific Island Affairs Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, as part of the Government’s programme of expanding the community housing sector.
“This Matanikolo Project provides warm, dry, safe and affordable housing for 22 families who have previously been living in crowded, unstable or otherwise unsuitable accommodation. These new homes will hugely enhance the quality of life and future prospects for the 100 expected new residents,” Dr Smith says.
“The particularly great thing about this development is that it is targeted at Pacific families. Our households are often larger and so we need bigger houses. Those houses tend to be more expensive and so it’s good to see that this project will be providing homes at an affordable cost for those families who really need it. The Pacific community has been closely involved with this development and that has delivered something which is right for our people,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.
“The Government has contributed $4.3 million from the Social Housing Fund’s $141 million to enable these homes to be built. The Fund was established as part of the Government’s housing reforms to expand the community housing sector as part of a more diverse approach to the provision of social housing,” Dr Smith says.
“I commend the partnership of the Airedale Property Trust, Tongan Methodist Church of Māngere and the LIFEWISE Trust for delivering this Matanikolo community housing project. Its success lies in not just providing housing, but other social services to support these families.
“The successful completion of this project is evidence of the growing momentum of the Government’s housing reform programme. We are successfully growing the community housing sector, we are getting far more homes built through the private sector, and we are addressing the fundamentals that will make future housing more affordable.”
ENDS

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