Community Housing Aotearoa, a peak body for the community housing sector, welcomes the announcement in today’s Budget to
create a $350M Affordable Housing Fund.
This investment is a good use of the unallocated Residential Response Fund and a sign that affordable housing is being
seen as essential infrastructure.
Community Housing Aotearoa Chief Executive Vic Crockford said that community housing providers are the leading
not-for-profit affordable rental providers in the country and that they are best placed to deliver on the intent of the
fund to provide more affordable, long-term options for the many people struggling to pay rent.
“Our social housing register has quadrupled since 2017 and many people in transitional housing have fallen out of
private rentals despite being double income households.
“Our 75 housing provider members are working hard every single day to respond to this – they are focused on how they can
do more to get more affordable homes built and more people out of homelessness and into secure, healthy places to call
home.
“Some have over 40 years experience delivering affordable developments with communities at their hearts and we firmly
believe that community, iwi and Māori housing providers are best placed to deliver on this fund,” said Vic.
Sustainable funding for community housing providers is key to unlocking the potential of the sector to continue
delivering both social and affordable housing which underpins the creation of thriving communities.
“Sustainable funding and access to upfront capital are key and the Affordable Housing Fund will provide our members who
deliver affordable rentals with another funding option,” added Vic.