46 | Nelson Housing Trust T T Rosa Watson Tackling region’s affordable housing The Richmond development is targeted at those on the Ministry of Social Development housing register, specifically older people and people with significant mobility concerns. A new Richmond development by the Nelson Tasman Housing Trust (NTHT) will provide 14 new homes to meet the region’s “escalating” need for affordable housing. The registered community housing provider currently serves around 500 families across the region and has a portfolio of 80 homes. It’s latest development currently under construction is building 14 homes at its 76 Bateup Road site in Richmond. The development is targeted at those on the Ministry of Social Development housing register, specifically older people and people with significant mobility concerns, NTHT director Carrie Mozena tells Business South. It will include six one-bed homes and eight two-bed homes, with eight of them accessible. Running ahead of schedule, residents are expected to move into the new homes by the end of February. Carrie says it meets a specific need in the region for small households and accessible housing. “It just made sense to go ahead with a single-story design, with all the benefits of level excess and accessibility to help the people that we know are really over-represented on the housing register.” Half the housing register locally is for single person households, she says. “So, we need more one-beds and we need more two-bedroom homes.” The Bateup Road development is funded through a government rent subsidy scheme, and was kicked off with philanthropic donations of about $1.5 million from four private donors - around 20 per cent of the total development cost. The trust also receives an operating supplement from the government for this project. Builders Jennian Homes Nelson Bays have been great to work with, Carrie says. “We’ve worked with (them) for many years. They’re responsive, they’re local, they deliver the design that we request. “We’re now at a point where we can tweak a number of one and two and three-bed designs that have been developed previously, and we just adjust them for a particular site. “They’ve been reliable, the quality’s been good. If there’s any issues after the build, we know they’re going to address them.” The firm’s price point works well for the trust, she says. “We manage our risks by requiring a fixed price contract. And because Jennian’s a national organisation with local franchises, they have substantial buying power in terms suppliers for construction materials. “So, we have found that’s very helpful in risk management.” Carrie says the main work of the trust is ensuring the development of small, well-built homes for people on low to medium incomes. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Affordable rents are set at 75 per cent to 80 per cent of market rent, and social housing homes are set at 25 per cent of the household income with a government subsidy top up to market rates. She says demand for the trust’s services continues to escalate. The housing register locally has been fluctuating between 400 and 450 households for the last several years. Beyond the register there is a large number of people needing affordable housing. “So, people who are not able to pay a market rent and don’t qualify for the housing register.” She says in the last five or six years, the number of people needing an affordable rental and not qualifying for the social housing register has almost doubled. “The latest survey undertaken shows there’s about 800 households needing an affordable rental in our area in Nelson and in the eastern parts of Tasman.” Six years ago, that would have been around 500, she says. “For people unlimited incomes, it’s just becoming increasingly difficult to find stable, decent housing that they can afford.” This includes people in full-time, stable employment and super-annuitants. She says seeing a tenant move into their brand-new home is the “best day ever”. “People tell us what a game changer it is being able to walk into a brand-new home and to know that it’s going to be a very pleasant place to live and to know that, as a as a landlord, we’re caring, and we’re not going to sell the home out from under them.” She says it is well documented that warm dry housing reduces hospitalisations and improves household health, reduces respiratory infections, supports employment and supports kids being in school or adults continuing their learning. “Being in a stable home where they don’t have to worry about that really helps families do all those other positive things that contribute to wider society.” The trust has recently acquired two more sites - one in Stoke and another in Richmond – that it hopes to build on soon. “So that we’re ready for when there’s another government funding opportunity. So that we’re ready for when there’s another government funding opportunity. “I’m cautiously optimistic that in the next year or two, we’ll be able to take advantage of new funding options.” • LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED • OBLIGATION-FREE MEASURE & QUOTE • WALL CLADDING • NEW ROOFS & RE-ROOFS • FASCIA / SPOUTING / DOWNPIPES 4A Barros Place, Richmond, Tasman P: 03 544 0458 E: admin@roo ngtasman.co.nz PROUDLY SUPPORTING NELSON TASMAN HOUSING TRUST www.roo ngtasman.co.nz TM Leading the way in custom joinery for over 30 years. Committed to delivering high quality products & outstanding service. TRENDSKITCHENS .CO.NZ NELSON | BLENHEIM | CHRISTCHURCH | CROMWELL | AUCKLAND Experts in Design, Installa�on and Solar Support 03 544 8553 info@nzsolar.co.nz 1/750 Lower Queen St, Richmond, Nelson 7081
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=