Reframing affordable housing
A new housing concept that turns four state homes into 18 social and affordable homes has been proposed by a community housing group.
Auckland Community Housing Providers’ Network has created a housing concept dubbed ‘18 for 4’, designed to enable people of all demographics to continue living in Auckland.
The group met with Auckland Mayor Phil Goff on November 15 to discuss the concept.
The purpose of the campaign is to get public interest and support from central government for the programme.
The concept will create mixed tenure properties to help meet increased demand for more social housing and affordable housing.
The ‘18 for 4’ housing model is structured around moving people up the housing ladder, from assisted housing into private ownership.
Building projects will transform four houses, likely Housing New Zealand stock, into 18 homes.
Each project will have eight homes for social housing, six homes for assisted home ownership, including rent to buy options, and four homes for private sale, with profits going back into more community housing.
These houses will be one, two and three bedroom homes.
NZ Housing Foundation general manager Paul Gilberd says the ‘18 for 4’ model would leverage off Housing New Zealand’s 27,500 Auckland homes.
‘‘They are the largest property owner in the city and have several sites where community housing providers can build quality, affordable housing close to public transport and people’s places of work,’’ Gilberd says.
‘‘The community housing sector has a proven track record with Waimahia Inlet and other projects and are a safe pair of hands – we’re regulated beyond state or private landlords to be ‘good landlords’ and are responsive to iwi and other community groups, being part of the communities in which we operate.
Community housing is about developing community-based solutions to address housing issues and providing affordable, healthy, quality homes.
The average house price in Auckland is about $1 million, and the average rent costs more than $500 per week.
The project would use locations across the city – rather than using Auckland’s periphery suburbs, Gilberd says.