Housing

Council plays a pivotal role in providing adequate housing for all our residents. We’re developing a Housing Policy that will ensure Council can respond to a complex and ever-changing housing market now and into the future.

Our Housing Policy will serve as the guide for how Council, and our partners, should approach initiatives that enhance the quality, quantity, affordability and accessibility of housing across the District.

Historically, Waimakariri has had one of the highest levels of private home ownership of any local council area in New Zealand. In 2020, Council commissioned independent research into future housing needs over the next 30 years. The research findings clearly identified that despite a relatively high home ownership rate, the number of households facing ‘housing stress’ had increased in recent years and was likely to continue to steadily increase over time. The research also highlighted unmet housing needs which were likely to create significant hardship if left unaddressed. These are unlikely to be fulfilled by the private property market without some level of targeted intervention by the Central Government and Council.

Council alone can’t meet all the housing needs across our community, and the lead agencies for social housing remain the Government and Community Housing Providers. However, we do have a role as a land use regulator and can identify where housing barriers exist, advocate for those in need and communicate what options, resources and/ or agencies are best placed to help resolve them.

We’re proposing to take on a bigger role in providing affordable housing

In 2016, Council adopted a Housing for the Elderly Policy that set out an eligibility criteria for our elderly housing units. The draft Housing Policy expands on this and directs how Council can play a bigger role in helping to address housing constraints across the district. We’re proposing that Council act in any of the four roles above to help deliver appropriate and/or affordable housing, depending on the individual circumstances at play.

Council has also prepared an indicative list of priority areas below for action. Full details of how these priority areas will be implemented will be decided on through an implementation plan and funding will be decided as part of Council’s long-term planning process.

We intend for these roles, functions and priorities to set the direction for Council as a key agency in the social housing sector.

Tell us what you think

Council currently owns and operates 112 elderly housing units. Our growing waitlist for housing, particularly housing for the elderly, indicates that there are limited options for affordable rentals for small one or two person households. Equally, there are others under significant housing stress that need support.

This Policy will enable Council to be more proactive in this space and clarify to other interested and invested stakeholders, including community housing providers, how Council can support and contribute to better housing outcomes in the district.

In the draft Policy, we have provided examples of what functions council could undertake as part of fulfilling one of four roles. We want to know if you think we’ve struck the right balance in this mix of roles and functions. We also want to know if you think we’ve identified the right priorities.

The draft Housing policy is available to view here.

Have your say using the feedback form or the survey below before 5pm, Friday 7 July.