Hon Bill English
Minister Responsible for Housing New Zealand Corporation
Hon Paula Bennett
Minister for Social Housing
12 August 2016
Accessible Properties preferred provider in Tauranga
IHC subsidiary Accessible Properties has been chosen as the preferred provider to take over the ownership of Housing New
Zealand’s properties in Tauranga, Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett say.
Accessible Properties was one of three shortlisted respondents asked to submit a formal proposal to purchase the 1124
properties and take over the management of their tenancies.
The Government is now working with Accessible Properties to finalise the agreement. It is expected negotiations will be
completed by October with a final decision to be made shortly after.
Minister Responsible for Housing New Zealand Corporation Bill English says the Government is impressed with the calibre
of the respondents who made it this far.
“One of the Government’s Social Housing Reform Programme objectives is to develop more diverse ownership of social
housing in order to provide better housing services. The status quo - of one very large state-run provider - is not
doing a good enough job supporting vulnerable people,” Mr English says.
“Letting community organisations provide housing support and services to better connect tenants to the other social
agencies they need is a critical way of doing that.
"It was encouraging to see so many community housing providers demonstrating they had the ability to provide tenancy and
property management from a sound, sustainable financial base, as well as being able to offer iwi and wider community
links.”
Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett says it is a commitment that the transfers do not change tenants’ eligibility for
social housing, they will continue to be supported for as long as they need, and their tenancy conditions remain the
same.
“The Government has previously worked with Accessible Properties on some fantastic social housing developments, so we
are pleased they have been selected to negotiate.
“Our bottom line remains that any properties transferred must remain as social housing and cannot be sold unless the
Government agrees otherwise.
“Accessible Properties are as committed as the Government to improving the way we provide social housing in New Zealand,
and we look forward to continuing this work with them.”
Accessible Properties has been managing housing for vulnerable people for more than 60 years, and currently looks after
over 1600 properties throughout New Zealand.
If final negotiations are successful, Accessible Properties will take over from Housing New Zealand as the landlord and
tenancy manager within the first half of 2017.
Social housing transactions are a part of the Government’s comprehensive plan to house more vulnerable people and
increase the supply of homes for them.
ends