Affordable rental homes get green light
The development of eight affordable rental homes close to Nelson Hospital is going ahead, after the Government approved $2.215 million towards the project.
And Housing Minister Chris Bishop said the Government had confirmed funding for Habitat for Humanity to develop 22 new homes in Nelson.
Nelson Tasman Housing Trust director Carrie Mozena said they were “stoked” about the Government announcement, which meant they would be able to now progress the $4.8 million, eight-home development on a site between Waimea Rd and Kawai St “pretty quickly”.
Construction could start in a few months and be completed in the middle of next year, she said.
The development, close to Nelson Hospital and bus stops, will comprise eight, two-bedroom single-storey homes. Four will be wheelchair accessible, suiting older people and or those with mobility issues.
The homes will have photovoltaic panels to reduce the cost of power. Their location near Nelson Hospital, bus stops and the city centre was also seen as a big plus.
The housing trust bought the property thanks to a $1.2 million grant from the Nelson City Council’s housing reserve fund, but the Government contribution was the key to the project going ahead.
In December last year, Labour MPs said the development was at risk under the new Government’s housing plans.
Asked about the future of affordable housing, Mozena said things were “really up in the air”.
“My crystal ball is broken,” she said, adding that the trust was willing to work with whoever was in government to attract central Government investment into Nelson and Tasman.
“Whenever a government changes, there's always some steps back but there's also some opportunities, so we'll be looking for those opportunities. To achieve any public housing or any affordable rental, it does require some kind of government investment. That's not something that the market alone can provide.”
Nelson MP Rachel Boyack said she was delighted that the trust had received the funding that they had applied for.
Prior to the election, National said it would bring the Affordable Housing Fund to an end in order to introduce Build-forGrowth – performance-based funding for councils building houses in their local territorial area, which Boyack said was “disappointing”.
“They've also said that they want to partner more with community housing providers and this specific fund is the perfect vehicle for doing that.”
Boyack said the advocacy from herself, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty and from the community had worked. She urged the government to retain the fund, and to invest more money into it.
Last month, the coalition Government announced plans to introduce legislation to make it easier for overseas investors to invest in build-to-rent developments in New Zealand. Other developments in the affordable housing space are also underway in the region.
Bishop confirmed the Government had approved funding for Habitat for Humanity to develop 22 new homes in Nelson. He said the previous Government’s cost of living crisis had meant their costs had escalated since their application.
This was being worked through with them at present, he said. “Funding for the Affordable Rental Pathway, as part of the Affordable Housing Fund, is now fully allocated.”