Community Housing Aotearoa Newsletter

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CHA Member Bulletin - 25 August 2011

From David's desk

It has been a few weeks now since our last Member Bulletin at the end of July, characterised by a relatively quiet period while we await the 'new era' of housing policy and funding that will unfold under the new Social Housing Unit (SHU) and Department of Building and Housing through the remainder of the year and into 2012.

For CHA's part a significant milestone of preparation for this new era was reached in August, when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with quality programme partners Te Wana and its parent organisation Health Care Aotearoa.

This MoU puts a firm footing under our emerging Quality Assurance programme and signals another step towards CHA being positioned as a trusted avenue for self-regulation within the community housing sector.

We have no major updates to make about the SHU, other than an understanding that an appointee to the position of Director is not expected for some weeks yet, meaning that the role may be filled on a temporary basis to ensure the wheels keep turning.

All those who have registered at the SHU website at www.shu.govt.nz (if you haven't, you should do so now) will have received a message acknowledging your registration.

This initial welcome message stated that initial funding rounds for providers of social housing are planned for later this year. It also indicated that information on "high level funding criteria" would be sent out some time soon (August/September) together with information about when applications will be called for.

Likely factors that will see organisations gain a foot in the door to be eligible for funding are a proven capacity and capability, an ability to deliver housing that aligns with known needs and provision of "value for money". An established track record under the Housing Innovation Fund is also likely to carry some weight.

The SHU has opened positive lines of communications with CHA and we expect to be in an excellent position to keep CHA members informed of details as they emerge, and, with your assistance, to cast a critical and constructive eye over all aspects of the process during its early days.

Overall I believe CHA is in the right place at the right time now to help in ensuring the credibility, untapped potential and benefits associated with community housing organisations gain steadily wider acceptance.

For the sake of future New Zealanders like my new daughter Daisy (born Friday 19 August), the message that affordable housing is the bottomline to a better society can never be lost.

Sincerely, David McCartney
Executive Officer
Email: director@communityhousing.org.nz

Inquiry into Boarding Houses

The month of August began with an appearance before the Social Services Select Committee at Parliament for the first day oral submissions on their Inquiry into Boarding Houses.

CHA supported Monte Cecilia Housing Trust's submission and assisted with expenses to enable a former Boarding House tenant to travel from Auckland to be heard in private by the Committee.

We are keeping a 'watching brief' on the process and the important issues that continue to surface, as reported in the media but often with few signs that coordinated action is being taken by the likes of local authorities.

OAG report on Māori housing to be tabled in Parliament soon

The next available day for the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) to present its report on the performance of the effectiveness of responses to Māori housing needs and demand is 6 September.

This performance audit appears on the OAG's annual work progamme for 2010-2011. It was the intention of the OAG to present the report in mid-August, but this was not possible due to Parliament's schedule of business at the time and days of sitting.

Other potentially relevant OAG reports can be found at - www.oag.govt.nz/reports/maori

No better time to join CHA

Forward to a friend

Have you re-joined CHA yet or encouraged a new member to join? Please remember to rejoin for the 2011-2012 year as soon as practicable, and if you have any questions about this process please contact us at support@communityhousing.org.nz

If you know of organisations who could be interested in joining CHA please encourage them to visit our JOIN NOW webpage – http://communityhousing.org.nz/?page_id=2558 Please also note that Individuals can join as Associate Members.

As at this week, we have 56 members signed up, as follows:

Eight (8) Supporting members
Fourteen (14) Full members
Thirty-four (34) Associate members, including four individuals

SUPPORTING MEMBERS to date (at 24 August 2011)

Accessible Properties
Auckland Council
Comcare Trust
Hawkins Construction
New Zealand Housing Foundation
PACT Group
Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust
VisionWest

FULL MEMBERS to date (at 24 August 2011)

Abbeyfield New Zealand Incorporated
Auckland Housing Association Charitable Trust
Bays Community Housing Trust
Community Living Trust
Community of Refuge Trust
Monte Cecilia Housing Trust
Ngati-Hine Forestry Trust
Shepherds Rest
Stepping Stone Trust
Taumarunui Community Trust
Tauranga Community Housing Trust
The Selwyn Foundation
The Wellink Trust
Wellington Housing Trust

We're also grateful to have the support of the following Associate Members: ASB Community Trust; Atawhai Mercy Assisi Home and Hospital; Auckland District Health Board; Auckland Refugee Council Inc; Beacon Pathway; Camellia House Trust; Community Energy Network; De Paul House;
Dingwall Trust; Easy Access Housing/Atareira; Energy Options Network; IAG New Zealand; Insight Trust; Justice & Peace Commission, Catholic Diocese of Auckland; Kites Trust; Manawatu Tenants Union (Inc); NZ Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations; Otago Accommodation Trust; Presbyterian Support New Zealand; Presbyterian Support Southland; Prisoners Aid & Rehabilitation Society of Canterbury (Inc); Queenstown Lakes District Council; Ruapehu District Council; Saltburn Limited; Te Runanga o Ngati Porou; The Victoria Trust; Wellington City Council; Wesley Community Action; Whaiangaroa Affordable Housing Trust; and the Whatever It Takes Trust.

Not here? It's never too late to join - visit our Join Now page or contact Jane Mackenzie support@communityhousing.org.nz

Round up of recent activity at CHA

CHA's small team has been widening its circles of contacts of benefit to the sector through a number of forums and meetings recently, including:

A strategic planning day for the ComVoices group, an independent network of NGOs set up to promote and make visible the enormous contribution of the community and voluntary sector to New Zealand society.
Taking part in the final day of the successful Victory Village Forum in Nelson - read more at http://www.confer.co.nz/victoryforum/
Attending the two-day AGM of Abbeyfield New Zealand, also in Nelson - see www.abbeyfield.org.nz
Presenting to the NZ Disability Support Network in Wellington - read more about NZDSN at www.nzdsn.org.nz
Meeting a project team of graduate students at Victoria University who are behind NZ's entry to an international housing design competition which will be judged in the USA during September. The team has a strong interest in looking into innovative social and community housing design on their return. For more about their project see http://firstlighthouse.ac.nz/

As an additional string to the bow, Stephen Olsen - CHA's part-time Communications Manager - has just been brought on to the team of the Australasian Housing Institute (AHI) to work 20 hours a week on AHI publications, when he's not working for CHA.