Community’s views sought on Council housing

Published: 16 March 2022

Last Updated: 29 March 2022

Napier City Council is asking for residents’ views on the future of community housing, with consultation opening today.

A recent review identified that Council can’t continue to provide housing where costs are funded solely through rents. Costs have increased mainly due to the maintenance needed on the ageing homes.

Council has identified three options for the future of its housing and is now seeking the community’s views on these.

Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise says it is important to know what Council housing tenants and ratepayers think of the three potential options.

“Ensuring low-income and vulnerable residents have affordable housing is very important. Potentially changing our housing provision arrangements is a significant decision and we want to know what people think before we make that decision.”

“Tenant welfare is very important to us. It’s also important that we balance the needs of our tenants with the wider impact Council’s housing provision has on our ratepayers,” says Mayor Wise.

Three options are being proposed for the consultation: keep with the status-quo of 100% Council ownership; keep most of the housing units; or sell all of the units. Council’s preference for any sale – if that is what is eventually decided – would be to another community housing provider, with tenants’ current lease arrangements guaranteed.

Napier City Council started providing community housing over 50 years ago for people who need affordable homes and can live independently. Of the 377 Council-owned units, 80% are for retirees or people with a disability. Tenants are supported through subsidised rents based on income. Councils do not qualify for the Government’s Income Related Rent Subsidy that other community housing providers receive, which further exacerbates affordability.

Residents can find information about the three potential options and make an online submission at www.sayitnapier.nz. The consultation closes on Wednesday 20 April and Council will consider submissions at a meeting on Wednesday 18 May.

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