36 | Nelson Tasman Housing Trust - Jennian Homes T T Virginia Wright Trust tackling region’s housing crisis Carrie Mozena: “Modest income is considered anything below the New Zealand median of $85,000 of household earning, but the Nelson median is lower, with a significant number of people in Nelson earning a lot less than that.” “When we were formed 20 years ago, we were very aware that there was a housing crisis in our community, which extended through the urban area out to Brightwater, Wakefield and including Motueka. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT T T to page 38 Established 20 years ago, the Nelson Tasman Housing Trust (NTHT) is very clear about what it does and why. It believes everyone deserves to live in a warm, comfortable home, which is why its mission is to provide affordable, healthy homes for people and whanau in need. What this means in real terms is that it already has a portfolio with 60 rental homes for people on low and modest incomes in Nelson and Tasman, with a plan to double that over the next five years. And with four separate developments at different stages, from concept through to mid-construction, it is already well on the way. The existing homes are spread across Nelson and Richmond, but the NTHT strategic plan is to spread at least as far as Motueka. “When we were formed 20 years ago, we were very aware that there was a housing crisis in our community, which extended through the urban area out to Brightwater, Wakefield and including Motueka,” says founding trustee and director since 2015, Carrie Mozena. “It’s really one economic zone with a lot of people who live in Nelson but work out near Motueka and vice versa.,” she says. The NTHT is acutely aware of how many low- and modest-income earners need homes, with 200 people currently on the waiting list, whether that’s for affordable or social housing. “Modest income is considered anything below the New Zealand median of $85,000 of household earning, but the Nelson median is lower, with a significant number of people in Nelson earning a lot less than that,” says Carrie. Nelson and Tasman have a high percentage of seasonal workers, due to employers like the fish-processing factories, horticulture, orchards and so on being located in these districts. They collectively employ a lot of people, but the work ebbs and flows according to the season. As Carrie well knows, all those workers need places to live and raise their families, but because their incomes fluctuate, they are not able to sustain paying full market rent. The NTHT portfolio includes two types of homes – those being rented out at 80% of market rent to people on modest incomes, and those that are rented to people on the social housing register, who pay rent at 25% of their income. The trust’s funding comes through a mix of philanthropic grants from both charitable funders and private donors, and from different government housing schemes to support affordable and social housing. It also has commercial mortgages anchored in the extensive financial planning done prior to each development taking shape. It is set up financially to break even, so that once the schemes are built, the tenants’ rents cover the costs of maintaining the houses, including mortgage, rates, and insurance, and includes NTHT’s low operating overheads, including staff wages. The most recent development of eight, two-bedroom units in Kawai Street, which are under construction, will be rented for $400 a week, which is “significantly below market rates,” Carrie says. Proud to support Jennian Homes Nelson Bays 0800 924 722 office@waimeascaffold.co.nz www.waimeascaffold.co.nz Why Insulate? Proudly supporting Jennian Homes & Nelson Housing Trust $VN XV DERXW ɞ :DUPHU .LZL +RPHV *UDQW Terms Apply* SPARKS Showroom - 14 Tokomaru Place, Wakatu Estate, Nelson Phone - 03 544 4747 | Email - admin@brightsparkselectrical.co.nz Proud to Support Nelson Housing Trust & Jennian Homes
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=