Source: New Zealand Government
99 new social homes will be delivered in Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman by Community Housing Providers (CHPs), Housing Minister Chris Bishop says.
“Our Government backs social housing, and we’re determined to deliver it better. That means building the right homes, in the right places, with the right support, for the people most in need,” Mr Bishop says.
“Across New Zealand, CHPs and Kāinga Ora have delivered over 6,800 net new social homes since November 2023, with 170 of those places being in the Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman regions.
“On top of that, the Government has committed funding for more than 2,000 additional homes to be delivered by CHPs over the next two years. Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman are among the regions benefiting from this pipeline.”
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has allocated social homes based on regional need, which has been assessed using a range of factors including the housing register and emergency housing use.
In Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman, the CHP projects are expected to deliver:
99 new social homes, with most to be delivered by The Salvation Army
The new homes will be located in places including Nelson City, Blenheim and Richmond
At this stage all places are one or two-bedrooms, which will help address the greatest gap in social housing supply in these regions.
“Half of those waiting for a home nationally need a one-bedroom property, yet only 12 percent of Kāinga Ora’s stock meets that need. In Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman, 87 per cent of the housing register demand is for one- and two-bedroom places, so these new homes will make a real difference,” Mr Bishop says.
“Every set of keys handed over is another person or family in a warm, dry social home. We’re focused not just on delivering more homes, but on delivering the right homes that match the needs of people and communities.
“The Government’s wider reset of the social housing system is already showing results. Recently the Community Housing Funding Agency achieved an A+ credit rating from S&P Global, and recently we announced the introduction of a new loan guarantee scheme, reducing borrowing costs for CHPs and enabling them to deliver more homes.
“We’re simplifying the funding system so providers can get on with building homes, instead of navigating a confusing web of overlapping funds. These Nelson Marlborough projects are a good example of the progress being made.”
Four of these homes have already been delivered, with Christchurch Methodist Mission delivering these places in Blenheim. Over 80 homes further have been approved to be delivered by The Salvation Army working in conjunction with construction partners of their choice between now and 2027.
