Source: Radio New Zealand
Tejinder Singh’s nine rental properties in Papatoetoe house people who were formerly sleeping rough. Supplied
Organisations helping house rough sleepers are relying on private landlords to open their doors, amid a shortage of social homes.
With the government limiting further social housing builds, Housing First providers are eyeing up market rentals – but the perfect properties, and owners, are hard to find.
However, one landlord said he “could not get better” than leasing through Housing First.
The government-backed programme helps chronically homeless people into housing, giving them long-term support to sustain their tenancy.
The idea is in the name – house people first, then deal with any mental health, addiction or other problems they may have.
Research shows it’s effective, with participants spending less time in hospital and mental health units, having fewer criminal charges, and higher incomes.
Wellington’s Downtown Community Ministry (DCM) rental procurement manager Shaun Monaghan said his organisation had about 200 people in its Housing First programme, and about 34 of them are still without a home – sleeping rough.
The organisation was granted 30 of the extra 300 government-funded places dished out last year.
But Monaghan said the actual homes is what they were short of, and DCM found itself leaning heavily on private landlords.
“It’s a little bit out of kilter. Our preference would be to have a steady stream of housing that is backed by central government to allow their programme to work efficiently, rather than relying on a private market which may not have suitable housing and which may not have the right landlord that wants to step into that space.”
Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka said the government was backing more housing supply by partnering with Kāinga Ora, community housing providers and Māori housing providers across the country.
Elizabeth Lester is the chief executive of Dwell Housing Trust – a community housing organisation that manages the tenancies on behalf of the property owner and DCM.
She gave RNZ her pitch for property owners with empty rentals.
“It’s a tough property market out there right now and we can offer a three-year lease, fixed market rentals, no property management fees, and a professional property management company that’s been around for 45 years, so they don’t have to worry about a thing,” she said.
“We will take care of it.”
Housing First appealed to different kinds of landlord, Lester said.
“At first we sort of thought it would be people who are socially minded, and we do have those kind of landlords, but we also have landlords who are just … in a pickle right now and need that long term security, and that’s okay.”
Lester said the government’s support of Housing First in Wellington would make a huge difference, but its plans to move on rough sleepers are a backwards step.
“What I just ask for is patience, because the move on policy really feels counterproductive to the good work we’re doing here,” she said.
“We are so focused on these long-term solutions, we’re focused on what works, and we know that Housing First works, so let’s do more of it.”
Potaka said move-on orders are separate from Housing First and serve a different purpose.
‘Cannot get better’ than leasing through Housing First – property owner
Tejinder Singh’s nine Papatoetoe two-bedroom rentals all house people who were formerly sleeping rough.
For him, it was both a social good and a smart investment.
“What you really are after normally is good, solid tenants, long-term tenants, and it cannot get better than these people,” he said.
“They give you a long-term lease, whether you want three years or five years, and the rent is paid on time … you’re not having to find tenants … they don’t give you notice and leave.”
The property investor and real estate agent rents the homes through Housing First provider, LinkPeople.
He acknowledged people may worry about who they were opening up their homes to.
“Even in [the] normal private market, you can find tenants who are not good, that’s just how it is.”
Singh had “no issues”, nor any complaints from the neighbours.
He was so impressed he planned to build more homes to be leased through Housing First.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
