We’re consulting on a dedicated provider for older persons’ housing

Council provides some accommodation for eligible older people in need of affordable housing, with 118 units in 10 locations across Kāpiti. But the need increasingly outstrips supply and we have long wait lists. Anecdotally, we know many people in need don’t bother applying as they think they have little chance of getting in.

We’ve been reviewing how we can do better in this space, starting with understanding the current situation. We found existing Council housing for older people has a range of limitations:

• Some tenants may have complex needs that require specialist help but we’re not set up or funded to provide social, emotional, and physical support services.

• Our existing housing isn’t suitable for full wheelchair access and functionality.

• Our complexes may not be in the best location for access to shops, medical centres, and government services.

To build more affordable housing for older people we need access to subsidised capital and rental assistance, but councils aren’t eligible for central government’s income-related rental subsidy. Instead, ratepayers subsidise our service, with Council rents set at 30 percent of our tenants’ income. This covers 55–80 percent of the operating cost of the portfolio.

We don’t see this as financially sustainable so we’ve been working closely with our tenants, community housing providers, and special interest groups to explore how we can meet our objective of delivering more and better housing for older people.

The review has suggested changes to our operating model may hold the key, so councillors have decided to consult with the community as part of the Long-term Plan consultation in March and April. We’ll provide more details on the options before then.