With the total number of social and community housing units (i.e. Housing NZ, council-owned and community-owned) now at the lowest level since the late 1940s (per thousand of population), the housing crisis for low-income New Zealanders shows no sign of improving, indeed homelessness, where people are on the streets or in other desperate situations, has…
Policy Watch Budget 2016 Special: what we are looking for and what was announced NZCCSS is looking at the Budget announcements as always through the lens of the most vulnerable. We look for signs of real social investment that makes a difference for people on the margins (see also Scoop Budget 2016 coverage). The simple summary of…
MEDIA RELEASE Thursday May 26 2016 “After the promising start in last year’s Budget of a $25 per week lift in benefit levels for families with children this 2016 Budget disappoints in not building this further”, says Trevor McGlinchey, Executive Officer, NZCCSS. “We were hoping for a courageous Budget which addressed the underpinning causes of…
There are four groups interested in the purchase of state houses in Tauranga and Invercargill that have been asked by Government to submit proposals. The Government has announced the next stage of the social housing transfer process that includes three groups tendering for Tauranga housing and one for the Invercargill homes. Three of the four…
Community Housing Aotearoa together with Auckland Council have appointed a new Emergency Housing Coordinator, David Zussman, to work with emergency housing providers in Auckland to increase supply and capacity in the sector. In announcing this new role, Auckland Mayor Len Brown said: the Coordinator is working with “providers in the sector and central government to…
NZCCSS calls for more social housing and a right to housing There are many thousands of people in very severe housing need right now, sleeping in cars, garages, over-crowded homes or sleeping rough. Every day social service agencies are working with people affected by severe housing need. Urgent and substantial action is needed to meet…
There is concern about the very wide powers being granted to Government Ministers to sell off Housing NZ homes under legislation before Parliament. The Social Housing (Transaction Mandate) Bill is being promoted by the Government as a procedural Bill to help achieve the goal of transferring Housing NZ houses to non-government organisations as part of…