Emerge Aotearoa welcomes the new Public Housing Plan as one part of a range of
housing initiatives needed to address the housing crisis.
Following on from the Prime Minister’s recent announcement regarding the Government’s
new Public Housing Plan, Emerge Aotearoa is pleased to hear Prime Minister Jacinda Arden
reiterate that “fixing the housing crisis is a key focus of this Government”. Emerge Aotearoa
agrees that the need for public housing for the most disadvantaged members of our
communities, continues to grow and that the new Public Housing Plan is one part of a range
of housing initiatives needed to address the housing crisis.
“The focus of the plan on developing partnerships between the Crown and Iwi/Maori is a
critical step in the right direction and is the only way to really address the existing inequities
for Maori in housing” says Dr Barbara Disley, Chief Executive of the Emerge Aotearoa
Group.
Emerge Aotearoa also fully supports the Plan’s commitment to increasing the involvement of
communities upfront in designing and delivering housing solutions that better meet their
needs.
Emerge Aotearoa is committed to doing more to support this current housing crisis. We
have 203 social houses, providing housing for people on low incomes, and a pipeline of an
additional 250 housing units which are in progress. Many of our pipeline projects are
community partnerships with both government agencies and non-government organisations.
While the plan references the provision of housing by Community Housing Providers, it limits
this to where a ‘complementary or bespoke approach’ is needed. In this time of crisis
opening options to a greater involvement of the community sector seems a logical and
important piece of the puzzle. “As a sector, we could do so much more with the right policy
and funding settings. A stronger community sector can support getting more houses up
quickly, complementing and contributing to the public owned stock” says Hope Simonsen,
National Manager of the Emerge Aotearoa Housing Trust, an entity under the Emerge
Aotearoa Group.
“We believe housing is a human right, not a privilege, and affordable, secure, warm housing
is a key foundation for health and wellbeing. At Emerge Aotearoa we have seen whānau, in
particular children, have their lives changed when they have a home. That is why Emerge
Aotearoa has stepped up its commitment to provide long term social housing and tenancy
and property management services for whānau and individuals from Whangarei to
Invercargill” says Dr Disley.
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