The New Zealand Government has just opened two new Salvation Army developments in Flat Bush and Westgate, delivering 68 new public houses for Aucklanders, their whānau and tamariki.
“This is another great example of community housing providers, in partnership with Government, delivering warm, dry, and healthy homes for more New Zealanders,” Minister of Housing Megan Woods said.
“We’re seeking to address decades of under-funding of new housing stock and our public housing programme plays a key part in enabling more housing to be built.”
Kaitiakitanga in Flat Bush comprises ten one-bedroom units and 36 two-bedroom units, adding 46 new public homes in Auckland. 85 per cent of referrals for the tenants in Kaitiakitanga are for households with dependent children.
Meanwhile, 22 new public houses have been established in Te Manaaki Tāngata at Westgate. These public houses are made up of two one-bedroom units and 20 two-bedroom units.
These two developments follow an earlier housing programme which delivered Te Hononga Tāngata, a 50 unit social housing development, in late 2019.
“We’re under no illusions about the size of the challenge, and the best way to address the growing demand is to bring on more quality housing at pace,” Minister Woods said.
“This progressive partnership with the Salvation Army shows how innovative solutions can help speed up delivery.”
Minister Woods revealed that the new public houses were built with the use of Structurally Insulated Panels. These Panels reduce build time and costs while having a far higher insulation value than traditional building products.
Much of the operating funding for the developments were provided through the Tūapapa Kura Kāinga – the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. However, the projects immediately began thanks to the initial funding from the Salvation Army and an impact investment through the Salvation Army Community Bond.
This was the first such bond arranged by Community Finance, an impact investment platform established in 2019. Community Finance is a platform that is committed to driving significant growth in community housing.
The Government housing programme has delivered 7,671 public housing places since November 2017 with plans to deliver over 18,000 public and transitional housing places by 2024.