MEDIA RELEASE

16 May 2016

Successful social housing recovery programme winding up

The New Zealand Government’s biggest investment in social housing in the South Island’s recent history is nearing completion.

Housing New Zealand’s Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Programme (CERP) was formed in 2011 to respond to the mammoth task of repairing 5000 earthquake damaged properties and to build up to 700 new homes.

As at April 30, 2016, Housing New Zealand had completed 530 new homes and there were a further 282 being constructed or under contract. Its programme to repair 5000 damaged houses was completed ahead of schedule last October.

With the work undertaken by the earthquake recovery programme either completed or well advanced, the CERP team will officially end its role on June 30.

The CERP team will bring its work into “business as usual’’ within Housing New Zealand’s  Asset Development Group from July 1 this year.

The locally based team will continue Housing New Zealand’s ongoing plans to build between 100-150 new homes in the city annually, Housing New Zealand Acting Chief Executive Greg Groufsky says.

The CERP office in central Christchurch was staffed with engineers, tenancy liaison personnel, people with construction backgrounds, strategists and communicators. 

The programme was without doubt one of the largest Housing New Zealand has ever undertaken in responding to the earthquakes.

While the earthquakes caused significant damage across the region, Mr Groufsky says they also created an opportunity to make significant improvements to our housing stock.

“All of this is genuinely a team effort with many partners involved in making this programme the success it has been.’’

Housing New Zealand formed strong working relationships with local consenting authorities, build partners, repair contractors and other important stakeholders which enabled it to press ahead with its Canterbury programme.

The repair programme was successfully completed in October 2015 – several weeks ahead of schedule.

This has seen not only earthquake repairs being completed but other improvements such as new curtains, carpet, insulation, heating and ventilation made to these properties.

The building programme has also made a significant difference to the quality of social housing with new warm dry homes including all the modern features you’d expect to see in a new house.

Feedback from tenants living in a repaired house or a new home has been very positive, Mr Groufsky says.

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