New landlords for Tamaki housing

New Zealand’s largest social housing project is looking to sell its business that acts as the landlord to its tennants.

The Tamaki Housing Association, the tenancy arm of Tamaki Redevelopment Company (TRC), was put on sale on March 10, less than a year after it was set up.

Tamaki Regeneration Company (TRC) is a housing development company, jointly owned by the Government and Auckland Council, that plans to replace 2800 state houses in east Auckland suburbs Glen Innes, Panmure and Point England with 7500 new homes over the next 15 years.

Tamaki Housing Association will be the landlords to the tennants placed in the social houses.

Earlier this month TRC advertised for New Zealand and overseas organisations to register their interest in buying the Tamaki Housing Association.

TRC would not say how much it wanted to sell the business for. The advertisement comes less than a year after TRC established the association.

Parties that can demonstrate an ability to deliver the services required, even if they do not currently have tenancy management operations or hold registered Community Housing Provider status are encouraged to register their interest.

Community Housing Provider is issued to housing providers by the government to ensure that tenants are appropriately housed and to support the growth of a fair and transparent community housing sector.

Community Housing Aotearoa is a national housing organisation representing nearly 100 members.

Its chief executive officer Scott Figenshow called the sale of Tamaki Housing Association unfair, especially to people who live in the area.

‘‘The Tamaki community have already gone through a major change with the change of tenancy from state to TRC, why on earth would we force another change on them,’’ Figenshow said.

He said allowing overseas interest to buy the association went against everything TRC had said the development would achieve.

‘‘No overseas provider can provide what a local provider already can. Let us hold TRC accountable to what they said this regeneration would achieve.’’

Registrations for expressions of interest close on April 6.