Getting people into warm, dry houses sooner is a challenge the Government has set itself.
Putting those words into action, since June this year over 15,700 houses have received upgrades, which included installation of heaters, thermal drapes, carpet and mechanical ventilation in kitchens.
Getting people into houses is another important aspect.As you can imagine,the situation involves waiting lists and, on a case by case basis, matching people’s needs for the housing that’s available. We’re seeing some good progress with our reforms, notably increasing social house subsidies by 3,000 to 65,000 places by 2017/18 at an estimated cost of $40m. This means more social houses are available at a subsidised rate for those that need the extra support.
The philosophy the Government has toward social housing is simple:
- Ensure people who need housing support can get it, and receive social services that meet their needs.
- Ensure social housing is the right design and size, and is in the right place for people who need it.
- Help social housing tenants to independence, as appropriate.
- Encourage and develop more diverse ownership of social housing, with more innovation and responsiveness to tenants and communities.
Increase affordable housing supply
One challenge with social housing is that we have the houses available, but many offers are being declined. Nearly 10,000 social housing offers were made last year, and of those 3,453 were declined, with 414 for unacceptable reasons such as wanting a garage or a bigger backyard. The continual back- and-forth process slowed down the housing process so much that those higher up on the list have had to deal with maddening wait times.
That’s why the Government reduced the number of times a person could refuse a house for no good reasons from three to one. And to help staff find suitable areas to live for applicants, they must provide at least three suburbs that they could live in, rather than just one. It’s a situation which requires both sides to meet halfway.
We’re also discussing the community’s views in regard to the Government selling state houses to community housing providers.
I welcome the opportunity in January to attend a public meeting where we can tease out questions and issues this may raise in the community.
I wish you and your family all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
By Todd Muller, MP for Bay of Plenty
I write for this magazine because it’s a great way to discuss issues with our local community
