CHA News - January 2011

To: Stephen

Ngā mihi o te Tau Hou ki a koutou katoa.

Welcome to the first CHA News of the year.

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From David's Desk

Where did January go!?

Seriously, it has been an action-packed start to the year already and CHA has good things to report about the level of engagement now being ramped up between the Department of Building and Housing (DBH) and our sector of the housing world.

The first thing to report is that we are now starting to get some greater clarity about the policy intentions and policy direction on social housing.

One of the criticisms of Housing Minister Phil Heatley's December 2010 announcement confirming Cabinet’s acceptance of key recommendations made by the Housing Shareholders Advisory Group (HSAG) was that it lacked details. 

On the other hand the Minister had met directly with the CHA Council prior to his announcement to set the context behind likely new policy settings, and on Thursday 20 January senior DBH policy officials met with CHA Council members for an 'open discussion' meeting and made an extended trip to Auckland on 26/27 January to meet with community housing providers.

From the 20 January meeting CHA has now produced its first ‘policy backgrounder’ summarising current policy thinking. This backgrounder is a three page document that is now available on the CHA website. 

As this policy work - which is being driven by DBH - gains pace we will be keeping you, our members, informed of developments as they unfold. There will also be some times when we will canvass members and the wider sector for your opinions and views about prospective new change scenarios that are bound to raise issues of particular interest or concern. We look forward to your participation.

CHA's upcoming national Conference is all set to take place in West Auckland on the Tuesday and Wednesday of 22-23 March. The theme for the event is "Doorways to Community Housing", a theme we will also be promoting more widely during the week of 21-25 March in our efforts to raise awareness of the contribution made to housing in Aotearoa New Zealand by CHA members.

Final details of the CHA Conference programme are busily being put in place. In addition to networking forums, workshop sessions, and keynote speakers - including Michael Lennon (CEO, Housing Choices - Australia), Jeremy Gardiner (CEO Te Runanga o Ngāti Awa) and sociologist Kaye Saville-Smith - the programme now also includes speaking slots for both Housing Minister Phil Heatley and Auckland Mayor Len Brown.

Please check out the programme and register for the conference by clicking on the REGISTER NOW button under special notices on the CHA website.

Until next time - best regards, David McCartney
director@communityhousing.org.nz

Raising the awareness of community housing

Low-key planning is continuing on our nominated community housing awareness week beginning 21 March. Only seven weeks to go!

CHA's intention is to use the week in March more as a starting point, coupled with CHA's national Conference and related announcements, rather than as a one-off endpoint.

Through the CHA website, advocacy for the sector, media publicity and public relations we'll be building to the week by circulating ideas for activities, and doing our best to support and highlight initiatives being taken by all community housing organisations around the country.

Chris Armstrong and Martin Stephenson of Abbeyfield New Zealand are leading the way by leaping into action with an 'ABBEYFIELD WEEK'  they are promoting to be run in conjunction with that week. Way to go Abbeyfield!

At CHA, Danae Gardner is helping us to get our more longer-term community housing awareness campaign planning off the ground. Danae, who is a Massey University student completing her Masters in Communication Management, is also putting together practical tipsheets and liasing with six CHA members on the creation of a "Doorways" poster. 

CHA would welcome more members coming forward to be involved in our campaign planning and the poster project. The five members who have agreed to participate so far are: VisionWest Community Trust, Community of Refuge Trust, Wellington Housing Trust, Habitat for Humanity Northland, Bays Community Housing Trust.

For more information Danae can be contacted by email to doorways@communityhousing.org.nz 

More events in March!

• NZ Coalition to End Homelessness Conference - Registrations are now open for the 5th NZCEH Conference – Healing Homelessness Through Action /Te Hautu Rongoa Noho Kore Kainga. Catch the Early Bird fee and register now! Registration forms and a draft programme and further details can be found at http://nzceh.onlinegroups.net/about/Conference/
  
  
  
• Neighours Day Aotearoa - A partnership consisting of LIFEWISE, Inspiring Communities and Methodist Missions Aotearoa are developing a nationwide celebration of "neighbourliness" on the weekend of 26-27 March 2011. A key message is that knowing our neighbours can help transform whole communities into healthy, fun and vibrant places to live. See: www.neighboursday.org.nz
  

Sector newsbites

• Success story for Lifemark and Salvation Army in Auckland - In December, twenty-nine (29) new Salvation Army living units were officially opened in Mangere (15 units) and Glen Eden (14 units). Notably, all of the units have incorporated the 33 design features of the Lifemark, the innovative quality mark that demonstrates a home is both usable and accessible that is administered by Lifetime Design. These units have been specifically developed for older people and include a level entry, widened doors and passageways, all aimed at making the house accessible for everyone and easy to adapt as residents’ needs change over time.
  
  In a celebratory media release Salvation Army spokesman Major Campbell Roberts expressed wholehearted support for the aims of the Lifemark brand in promoting buildings that work for people of all ages and abilities, whether that is the elderly, families or the disabled. General manager Andrew Olsen joined Lifetime Design in October 2010, after more than a decade’s experience in the construction and development sectors. He is committed to growing the brand and can be contacted via email to andrew.olsen@lifemark.co.nz
   

• New Chair appointed to Housing New Zealand Board - On Friday 17 December Dr Alan Jackson was appointed Board Chair of Housing New Zealand Corporation. In 2010 Dr Jackson chaired the Housing Shareholders Advisory Group which prepared the Home and Housed (A Vision for Social Housing in New Zealand) report and then undertook extensive engagement with our sector. At the same time Susan Paterson was also appointed to the Board. See the Beehive announcement.