Social housing shortage highlighted
Taranaki’s public housing stocks remain woefully short of meeting the demand across the region, a report has found.
The “housing work stream” report is due to go before the New Plymouth District Council’s community development committee on Wednesday and was commissioned after council formally recognised in June last year that there was a housing crisis in the district.
An audit of public houses, defined as properties managed by national agency Kainga Ora as well as community housing providers, found the number available had actually dropped over a five-year period from from 1271 in 2018 to 1270 in 2023.
However, demand for properties had an increased by 294% over the same period, with 687 households needing placement.
Of that number, 384 were in New Plymouth, 126 in South Taranaki and 45 in Stratford.
While there was some relief in sight, with 126 public housing placements due to be delivered by June next year, the shortfall was still a major issue, especially with New Plymouth’s population expected to increase from 89,000 to 99,000 by 2034.
In response to the crisis, council approved up to $200,000 from its housing reserve to resource opportunities to solve the crisis, including identifying how it could work with other organisations.
Council had also employed a strategic housing manager who began work in November. The report said the manager was actively working with the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Development and the Community Housing Regulatory Authority to find ways to access government subsidies.
“Central government’s Budget announcement is due in May this year, with housing related policy detail, work programmes and budgets yet to be finalised,” the report said.
“A review of Kainga Ora is under way, and Te Tuapapa Kura Kainga - Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is awaiting decisions and direction regarding its current and future work and funding streams.”
In the meantime, the Taranaki Housing Initiative Trust had been established with the goal of increasing affordable housing opportunities across the region while actively seeking new partnerships to grow housing stock.
Council was also looking to establish a strategic housing steering group consisting of elected members and staff to improve communication and co-ordination within the sector.
The report also outlined plans for the council to increase its funding from the initial $200,000 to $4 million.
However, it would still be capped at $200,000 annually.
The draft 10-year Long Term Plan said the money would be used to expand council’s role in the provision of housing beyond housing for the elderly.
The plan also outlined a want to set-up a council controlled organisation to develop housing for the elderly.
The plan said council operated 145 housing units for the elderly. However, the self-funding model does not provide sufficient funding for the upgrades that were now required for the ageing housing stock.
The number of units also did not meet demand, with more than 80 people on a waiting list.
A Community Housing Investment Partner (CHIP), trust or CCO could help deliver our existing housing for the elderly and look at the possibilities for a wider role in housing, it said.