oct 3, 2016 - Christchurch City Council Social Housing: Mananagement transferred to a Trust
Description:
The Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust took over from the Christchurch City Council the management of 2,300 social housing units. The Trust was a charitable trust comprising three council trustees and four indpendent trustees. The longer-term objective of the Trust was to grow the supply of social housing in Christchurch.
The Government had approved the Trust’s registration as a Community Housing Provider, allowing it to access the Income-related Rent Subsidy. However, only new tenants on the Ministry of Social Development’s housing register were eligible for the subsidy. They paid 25 per cent of their net income on rent and the Government paid the difference up to the market rent.
Rents remained unchanged for existing tenants as part of the lease deed, with increases capped at no more than five percent annually. Rents for new tenants, not eligible for the Income-related Rent Subsidy, were set at 70 percent of the market rate, up from between 55 and 60 percent under the Council’s management. Tenants not eligible for the Income-related Rent Subsidy were, where eligible, able to receive the Accommodation Supplement.
Tenancy managers employed by the Trust were responsible for about 200 units each, compared to the 350 to 400 tenancy managers looked after at the Council. A key focus of the Trust was tenancy management with its goals to:
• place people in the right house in the right community;
• help tenants find housing that fitted their budget;
• work with tenants and other organisations to sustain the tenancy; and
• link tenants to services and recreational activities to enhance their well-being.
Source: https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/about-msd/history/social-assistance-chronology-programme-history.html
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A chronology of Māori housing
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