Funding To Include Community Housing In Systems Approach

Tuesday, 25 June 2019, 1:41 pm
Press Release: Community Housing Aotearoa

MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday 25 June, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Funding To Include Community Housing In Systems Approach

The power of Community Housing Aotearoa as a catalyst to drastically increase the supply of adequate, affordable housing for families living in poverty has been recognised by the Peter McKenzie Project of the J R McKenzie Trust.

The Trust - through its Peter McKenzie Project (PMP) - has committed $1M over five years to Community Housing Aotearoa (CHA) to help increase the delivery of healthy housing for low income earners in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“This funding will ensure CHA can assist the Government to create a well-functioning housing system,” explains CHA Chief Executive Scott Figenshow. “Our primary focus is to build consensus around the policy settings, practices, and resource flows that increase the supply of adequate housing for families living in poverty.”

Currently one in every four children in Aotearoa New Zealand lives in a low-income household where their family and whānau struggle to provide them with the basics needed to allow them to flourish. This number has more than doubled over the past 30 years.

The Peter McKenzie Project (PMP) seeks a country in which all children and families can flourish. It aims to contribute to a significant reduction in the number of children/tamariki, rangatahi/young people, and families and whānau living in hardship and poverty. They fund projects which improve systems that affect the circumstances in which people live.

“Lack of access to warm, safe, dry affordable housing is one of the key drivers of child poverty in New Zealand,” says Mr Figenshow. “CHA will be using the money to directly increase the number of new lower quartile homes built for families.”

Taking a Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership approach is vital. This includes community housing providers (CHPs), iwi, local government and the new cross-ministry organisation Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities working in parallel with a focus on adequate housing for all being achieved by 2040 - 200 years on from the signing of the Treaty.

“As Dr Moana Jackson pointed out during his opening keynote at The Shift Aotearoa conference earlier this month in Wellington, the Treaty provides us with the way forward. One that views housing delivery as a true partnership with iwi, recognising the right to shared ownership and the unique connection to whenua,” says Mr Figenshow.

ENDS

Community Housing Aotearoa Background
Community Housing Aotearoa (CHA) is the peak body for New Zealand’s community housing sector. Our 90 provider members house approximately 25,000 people nationally across 13,000 homes. Our 19 partner members include developers, consultants and local councils. Our Vision is to make sure every New Zealander is well-housed in a warm, safe, dry and affordable home. This is a basic human right. We work to support the growth and development of community housing providers to enable them to provide affordable and social housing. We want to demonstrate that community housing is a critical element alongside private and government owned housing. No one can do it alone.
For more information, head to http://communityhousing.org.nz/

Peter McKenzie Project of the J R McKenzie Trust Background
The Peter McKenzie Project (PMP) is utilising a $17m fund to contribute to building an Aotearoa New Zealand where all our children, young people and mokopuna flourish – He oranga tamariki, he oranga whānau, he oranga tāngata. PMP is supporting a small number of big Ideas designed to lead to long-term systemic change, so that systems are better at lifting families from hardship and better at preventing them get into hardship. We are offering funding over a 20-year period so these Ideas can be developed, tested and brought to life. For us, success will mean a better understanding of what works to reduce poverty, and a reduction in the number of children, young people and families living in poverty.
For more information, head to https://jrmckenzie.org.nz/program/peter-mckenzie-project/

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Community Housing Aotearoa

Nga Wharerau o Aotearoa

Community Housing Aotearoa is the peak body for New Zealand's community housing sector. Our 110 members build and manage affordable and social housing.

Our Vision is to make sure every New Zealander is well-housed in a warm, safe, dry and affordable home. This is a basic human right.

We work to support the growth and development of community housing providers to enable them to provide affordable and social housing.

We want to demonstrate that community housing is a critical element alongside private and government owned housing. No one can do it alone.

Community Housing Aotearoa aims to:

1. be the voice of the community housing sector
2. build capacity and foster collaboration
3. promote best practice in housing policy
4. champion quality and excellence.

Contact Community Housing Aotearoa

• Website - communityhousing.org.nz/
• Our Place - Learn how we think this can be achieved
• Phone - +64 4 385 8722
• About us - Our 2021 annual report is online here
• Email - support@communityhousing.org.nz
• Link - Members directory
• Physical Address - Level 11, Ranchhod Tower, 39 The Terrace/102-112 Lambton Quay, Wellington