Rooftops Issue 8 - Housing New Zealand Corporation · Rooftops Issue 8 DECEMBER 2016 Rooftops is...

www.hnzc.co.nzRooftops | Issue 8

DECEMBER 2016

Rooftops is Housing New Zealand’s newsletter for our stakeholders, and is designed to help keep you up to date with what’s happening at our place.

I joined Housing New Zealand in September this year, and since then have had a busy few months not only getting to know the organisation better, but also spending time with the many external groups and individuals who work with us.Housing New Zealand’s strength lies in the “people” side of our work – whether it’s our many stakeholders, our tenants or our staff. Like any landlord, we need to meet a range of legal obligations and of course we also have a duty to manage properties. However, we’re a social landlord, and as such we have responsibilities over other landlords. We provide homes to some of society’s most vulnerable people, and we have a duty to ensure our tenants have the right foundations from which to live healthy, happy and productive lives.Since I’ve been here, I’ve made a point of getting out and meeting our tenants and staff, and I am particularly impressed with the care and dedication our staff have to helping the people who live in our homes. In addition to the usual rent collection, maintenance and checking, we do a lot of work that extends into the social arena and have an active involvement in the communities we’re part of.From an asset management perspective, we’re responsible for managing around 64,000 properties across New Zealand, at a value of more than $20 billion. We must provide homes that are not only warm, dry and safe – but that are also in the right places, and of the right type, to meet demand. We have a fiscal responsibility to deliver this effectively on behalf of taxpayers and the Crown, and I’m looking forward to the important work

8ISSUE

CEO, ANDREW MCKENZIE

Welcome to our final issue of Rooftops for 2016.we have planned for the next few years as we deliver on this.In this issue of Rooftops, you can see many examples of our rebuild programme, as well as the work we’re doing to support our tenants and neighbourhoods. Finally, we’re also a major player in the wider housing sector – and in this newsletter you’ll see updates about some of the programmes we’re part of, and issues that require a strong organisational response – such as our methamphetamine programme, and the Social Housing Reform Programme.I’m looking forward to continuing to meet more of you as I settle into the new role. One thing I’m very clear on: Housing New Zealand cannot deliver its services without the support of the many groups, agencies and individuals who work in the same sector and who provide support and advocacy services to our customers. If you have any issues or concerns – or compliments – that you’d like to talk to me about, I’m keen to hear them. Please email [email protected] and we’ll be in touch. In the meantime, I wish you and your families a safe and relaxing holiday, and all the best for the new year.

DECEMBER 2016


Thousands of new warm, dry homes for New ZealandIn the past year, Housing New Zealand delivered 871 new warm, dry and safe homes in high demand areas – and over the next three years we’re set to deliver nearly 5,000 more.The homes are not only of a high quality, but they are also designed in a way that meets the needs of today’s families and tenants. They’re places that anyone would be proud to call home.

Here’s a snapshot of some of them.

Tenants are now enjoying living in 17 of Housing New Zealand’s newest homes at its recently-completed Daventry Street development in Auckland’s Waterview.They moved into the modern new homes – a mixture of two, three and four-bedroom dwellings – in October and November.

Before construction was complete, local residents who attended an open day at the site were positive about what they saw.

“The homes are lovely – I like the internal access garages, the double wardrobes and the compact gardens…I like everything. I want to move in!” said Sue, a local neighbour who has lived in Daventry Street for 20 years.

Housing New Zealand’s Asset Development Group General Manager Patrick Dougherty says the redevelopment is a typical example of how Housing New Zealand is making more efficient use of its land across Auckland.

“The site is almost 3,500 sqm but previously had just three 1940s brick duplexes that were well past their ‘use-by’ date. Now 17 warm, dry, healthy homes stand in their place; it’s a much wiser use of the land and will benefit many more people in need of housing.”

The average age of Housing New Zealand’s

stock nationally is around 44 years and Mr Dougherty says these older homes become increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain and live in.

“The new homes we’re building in Waterview, and across the country, are architecturally designed and built to modern standards. They feature double-glazing, insulation, thermal quality curtains and carpet, and they’re positioned to make the most of the sun; all factors which make them more comfortable and economical places to live.”

The redevelopment is just one of a number Housing New Zealand is doing across Auckland.

Only a stone’s throw away on the corner of Saxon and Daventry Streets 12 homes are replacing five on a 2,680sqm site, while in Waterbank Cres 32 new homes will replace 11 war-era houses on a 6,609 sqm site.

And a 2,168 sqm site in Henderson’s Universal Drive now boasts five four-bedroom family homes where there were previously only two old houses, and in one Mt Roskill redevelopment (Housing New Zealand has several in the area), three 1950s houses have been replaced with nine homes on a 2,044 sqm site.

In the three months to September 16, Housing NZ submitted 60 resource consent applications to Auckland Council – an average of one development and 21

New tenants enjoy modern living in Waterview – and other parts of Auckland

dwellings for every working day.

It’s a level of activity that speaks volumes about the scale and pace at which the organisation is operating.

“Those applications represent more than 1250 houses with the potential to accommodate more than 3,200 people across 18 Auckland suburbs,” Patrick says.

DECEMBER 2016


New homes in Wellington

New housing in Christchurch

Housing New Zealand plans to build 21 one-bedroom, modern, warm and dry town houses in Johnsonville.The new, low maintenance homes, to be built at 41 Frankmoore Avenue, will be fully insulated, warm and dry, and filled with light.

“The new homes exemplify Housing New Zealand’s commitment to providing high quality housing which not only meets the needs of today’s families, but is also future proofed to meet ongoing demand,” says Patrick Dougherty, Housing New Zealand’s Asset Development Group General Manager.

“We’re excited about this development, which will breathe new life into the neighbourhood and will add to the attractiveness of the area. These are all smaller properties – which is what we need more of – and they’ve been designed in a way that ensures they have plenty of shared outdoor space and communal garden areas,

Our Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Programme may have wrapped up earlier this year but we are still building many new modern homes across the city.The team completed its work to build 700 new homes but has more than 165 other properties either under construction or contracted to be built.

Tenants have said they love these new homes which are purpose-built, warm, dry and modern.

Housing New Zealand intends to keep re-developing its stock across greater Christchurch with plans to build at least 100 new homes annually.

to help create a good sense of community,” he says.

Once resource consent is granted, construction is planned to begin in mid 2017. The properties have been designed by award-winning architects Jerram Tocker Barron, and will comprise three separate complexes each containing seven townhouse-style apartments.

The exterior has been designed to blend with the nature of the existing buildings and surrounds. The development will include off-street parking, and privacy for tenants and neighbours will be ensured through good urban design.

The redevelopment is one of five planned for Wellington city, with others set to be delivered soon in Berhampore, The Terrace and Newtown.

DECEMBER 2016


Housing New Zealand in the wider sectorRight now, the social housing sector is experiencing significant change.Through the Government’s social housing reform programme, we’re seeing increased diversity among social housing providers through stock transfers, and a much stronger role for the Ministry of Social Development since it’s taken on responsibility for purchasing social housing places and assessing eligibility of applicants.

Housing New Zealand, as a landlord, also has a range of agencies we work with closely – including partnerships supported by memoranda of understanding – that enable us to fulfil our role effectively and meet our legal obligations.

Below you’ll find a series of updates about some of the areas we’re working in.

There has been a lot of discussion and media coverage around the issue of methamphetamine.Housing New Zealand has taken a very proactive and strong stance to deal with the issue of meth use in our homes and the contamination and health issues that result from this.

For a very long time, there was only one set of guidelines for property owners, like Housing New Zealand and private landlords, to use to determine the health and safety of homes that may be meth contaminated.

We were, and will continue to be, guided by what is set at a national level, by health experts who apply the best research and practise that is available locally, and internationally.

We welcome the new Ministry of Health guidelines that were released in late October.

Those recommended guidelines will have some significant benefits when it comes to managing our homes.

Annually we’ll see far fewer properties vacant and undergoing decontamination, which means more homes available for people in need.

New Ministry of Health methamphetamine guidelines welcomed

Providing safe and healthy homes for our tenants, ensuring they are good neighbours and can sustain their tenancy remains our core focus.

However, illegal activity is not permitted in our homes. It is a breach of the tenancy agreement that people sign with us.

Smoking ‘P’ remains an illegal activity in New Zealand. We will continue to address this with our tenants and have already started applying the revised guideline.

DECEMBER 2016


Housing New Zealand is helping the Government to transfer ownership and management of Housing New Zealand properties around the country, as part of the Social Housing Reform Programme. Here’s the latest update on the programme.

Housing New Zealand stock transfers: update

TaurangaHousing New Zealand is working with IHC subsidiary Accessible Properties to agree the best approach for the upcoming transfer of 1,140 properties in Tauranga. Housing New Zealand tenants in Tauranga will get a new landlord on 1 April 2017.

HorowhenuaThe Ministers announced in early November that they have decided not to proceed with the transfer of around 250 properties and tenancies in Horowhenua and Ōtaki to a community housing provider, due to complex iwi settlement issues.

Christchurch proposed transferThe Government announced in November that it is exploring the option of transferring ownership and management of up to 2,500 Housing New Zealand houses in Christchurch to a new landlord. Details have yet to be finalised, but indications are that houses would be transferred in the suburbs of Riccarton, Bryndwr and Shirley.

Things to remember about the transfers• Nothing changes now. Tenants will be

kept informed as the Government’s programme progresses.

• It remains business as usual until the sale to a new community housing provider is finalised.

• If our tenants get a new landlord:

• The Government will make the transition to the new landlord as easy for them as possible.

• Tenants will continue to be housed for as long as they are eligible for social housing.

• Tenants’ rent will not change as a result of having a new landlord.

• Tenants’ eligibility will continue to be assessed by the Ministry of Social Development, as it is now.

• Tenants will have the same rights as they do now, and their new landlord will have the same responsibilities as Housing New Zealand has now.

Tenants and stakeholders should still call Housing New Zealand if they want to talk about their tenancy or property on 0800 801 601 between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday or 24/7 for urgent calls.

DECEMBER 2016


Housing New Zealand supports EPA “put it up or lock it up” campaignHousing New Zealand is partnering with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to promote safety around household chemicals.“As the country’s largest landlord with more than 64,000 properties, and around 182,000 people living in our homes, Housing New Zealand has an important role to play in helping people in New Zealand stay safe around the home,” Chief Operating Officer Paul Commons says.

“We’re really pleased to be able to support the important work the Environmental Protection Agency does in promoting awareness of how to keep poisons and household chemicals out of reach of children, so we’re doing all we can to support their efforts.”

EPA Chief Executive Dr Allan Freeth says the EPA began working with Housing New Zealand earlier this year, as part of its drive to raise awareness around safety in the home.

“We’re always looking at ways we can promote awareness, and it made sense to use the country’s largest landlord to help us spread the message,” he says.

“Many household chemicals we use every day are considered ‘hazardous substances’. Garden sprays, cleaning products, fuels and even cosmetics can all be dangerous if they are not used or stored carefully. Therefore,

the importance of good education around use and storage of household chemicals cannot be overstated,” he says.

“Our campaign is based around the messages ‘Put it up’ or ‘Lock it Up’. We encourage everyone to store chemicals out of reach and out of sight, read labels, and always follow manufacturers’ instructions on products.”

Dr Freeth says a big part of EPA’s partnership involves supporting Housing New Zealand at its numerous community events and initiatives.

“We’ve supported Housing New Zealand at a range of events, including community barbecues and stalls, the recent Healthy in

the Hutt event, and contributing messaging and articles to their popular tenant newsletter Close to Home.”

“Reminding people to wear protective clothing like gloves and goggles, keep products in the containers they’re sold in, and never mix products together are among other key safety messages we’ve promoted wherever we can to Housing New Zealand tenants and the wider public.”

Dr Freeth said EPA’s recently introduced ‘Safer Homes’ Facebook page often carries Housing New Zealand-related articles and EPA makes a point of following and retweeting Housing New Zealand messaging on its Twitter account.

DECEMBER 2016


Housing New Zealand part of emergency housing response

Housing New Zealand in the community

August, the Government established a cross agency Emergency Housing Response Team as part of their extra investment in emergency and social housing, over the next two to three years.

The Emergency Housing Response Team led by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) has been tasked with ensuring sufficient supply of emergency housing across the country. Along with MSD and Housing New Zealand other representatives on this team are from MBIE, Treasury, Auckland Council, Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Defence.

The Emergency Housing Response Team’s role is to work with partners, building agencies and other key stakeholders to deliver 1,400 additional emergency housing places across New Zealand by April 2017, with 600 of them in Auckland.

Work on supplying these additional places is now moving at pace with construction on the first site, in Luke Street in the Auckland suburb of Otahuhu, well underway.

At Housing New Zealand, we invest time and resource into our communities, linking people together and connecting neighbourhoods.

Here are a few examples of what we’ve been doing recently.

This development is being built on land leased to Housing New Zealand by the Ministry of Education. At Luke Street, Housing New Zealand will deliver 43 units for emergency housing. MSD are in the process of seeking a service provider who would be responsible for providing tenancy management and support services to the residents that will live in these properties. Residents will be high priority applicants from MSD’s Social Housing Register. As part of these developments, the wider team is also working closely with key stakeholders like local schools.

DECEMBER 2016


Our Amazing Place outshines the weatherA twist on the hit reality TV show The Amazing Race saw more than 120 Mount Wellington locals and 20 organisations come together for an afternoon of fun on November 12, despite the blustery Auckland weather.Working with Violence Free Communities, Housing New Zealand staged Our Amazing Place to bring locals together and showcase key assets in the Panama Road/Riverside area.

Housing New Zealand Community Development Manager Karen Allen says Our Amazing Place is based on a treasure hunt concept.

“Participants entered in teams and followed a pre-set route, collecting stamps in their passports at the various stations along the way.

“Each station had a question or activity and teams who successfully filled their passports and completed a survey went in to a prize draw.”

Violence Free Communities general manager Lyn Amos says the idea is to get people exploring their own community and engaging with each other.

“We’ve been running these events for several years now and the feedback tells us participants experience a greater connection to their community and become more aware of the support that’s available to them.

“It was a pleasure to work with Karen and Housing New Zealand and to be amongst the families, stall holders, fun and laughter on the day.”

Karen says the organisations and activities at the event were specifically chosen to

reflect what the community had earlier identified as important during a focus group.

“Among the topics highlighted were parenting, water safety, budgeting and legal advice, medical help, smoking cessation and other social services. So we aimed to involve organisations who could provide information and support in these areas.”

Karen says there were plenty of goodies for the kids en route, as well as a sausage sizzle and a bouncy castle operated by Bounce for a Cause, a group that invests its proceeds into youth clubs and youth employment.

The treasure hunt concluded at the local Panama Road School hall where the children put on Kapa Haka, choir and band performances, and the prize-giving was held.

Karen says Housing New Zealand has dozens of existing properties in the area, as well as several redevelopments under way with a number of modern new homes due for completion in early 2017.

“With events like these we’re aiming to encourage a robust sense of community,

integration and acceptance, as well as promoting values such as being a good neighbour. As Lyn says, we also want to connect people with each other and the resources close to them.”

And, according to the feedback received, the event achieved just that.

“Ninety-three per cent of those who staffed one of the stations said they would participate in another Our Amazing Place and 93 per cent of participant teams said they felt more a part of the community as a result of the event. Eighty-nine per cent also said they were more aware of what’s available in the local community, Karen says.

“Overall 80 per cent of respondents rated the day as ‘wonderful’ or ‘close to wonderful’ and there were lots of thanks and comments of appreciation.

“The wind and rain were pretty awful – we almost got blown away – but the results were absolutely worth it,” Karen says.

DECEMBER 2016


Shared tea goes down a treat in new neighbourhood

Aranui Festival a success

A shared tea for tenants of 18 recently-completed Housing New Zealand homes in the Auckland suburb of Otahuhu went down a treat last month.Housing New Zealand Community Development Manager Karen Allen organised the event at Hui Hui Lane to officially welcome the tenants to their new homes.

“Getting everyone together to mix, mingle and share some food is a great way to introduce people to their neighbours and create a sense of community,” Karen says. “Everyone was really supportive and keen to take part in future events, like a street party to celebrate Neighbours’ Day.”

On hand to assist Karen were Stakeholder Relationships Manager Marion Humphrey and Portfolio Manager Matt Saseve-Dale.

Around 25 people attended the get-together, during which prizes were also awarded to the winners of a children’s colouring competition held for the new neighbourhood.

Housing New Zealand has strong ties to the Christchurch suburb of Aranui and our staff always enjoy participating in the community’s annual festival.Several hundred people turned out on a sunny day for the AFFIRM 2016 festival in the eastern Christchurch suburb of Aranui in early December.

The annual event is a celebration of the Aranui community.

Housing New Zealand has a special relationship with Aranui as it has had a long established presence in the community and, as part of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Programme, also built more than 100 new homes in the area.

This year Housing New Zealand shared a tent at the festival with Environment

Eleven year old Bella Falaniko came first with her artistic efforts and explanation of why she liked her new homes (‘It’s clean and I love playing with my new friends. We’re very happy’).

The 18 modern new houses, ranging in size from two to five bedrooms, were completed on a 4,352 square metre site around three months ago and replaced five, outdated 1960s homes.

Housing New Zealand has surveyed 11 of the 18 households about the new dwellings,

Canterbury and the new Otautahi Community Housing Trust which recently took over the Christchurch City’s housing portfolio.

Stakeholder Relationship Manager (Southern) Ray Tye says the event, now in its 15th consecutive year, seems to be going from strength to strength.

“AFFIRM draws in a great crowd of locals and the wider community so it’s a great opportunity for the People and Property teams and others from Housing New Zealand to interact with the community.’’

From the middle of the festival venue, Wainoni Park, you could do a 360 degree turn and see Housing New Zealand’s new developments.

These complement the new community centre that opened earlier this year, and Haeata Community Campus, the new

with more than 90% of the responding tenants rating their homes as either very good or excellent.

The majority of tenants canvassed were also overwhelmingly positive about the Welcome Pack and ‘Goody Bucket’ they received when they moved in.

“And we received some useful ideas and suggestions for improvement which will help inform the design of our future redevelopments too,” Karen says.

Year 1-13 school that opens its doors in 2017.

DECEMBER 2016


Good vibes and sweet baking at the Dixon Street Flats café

The tenant café at Wellington’s Dixon Street flats has been going great guns since it started in September, with a range of activities and services operating out of the café on Thursday lunchtimes.The café is run weekly in the common room on the top floor of Dixon Street flats – a post that offers some of the best views in Wellington. Residents of the building, many of whom are older people, really enjoy coming to the café each week to connect and chat with their neighbours.

Food for the café is usually donated by Kaibosh Food Rescue, but they have been closed since the November earthquakes, so St Johns Church and Housing New Zealand have been providing refreshments for the past few weeks. Housing New Zealand’s Case Manager for the Dixon Street complex, Sara Calman, has even been doing baking for the café – often with the help of trusty sidekick Helen, who has lived at the complex for three years.

Music is a big part of the weekly café. With two pianos and various other instruments, there is always a dynamic and creative atmosphere. Sara is always touched to see how the atmosphere brings out the best in the tenants.

“It’s hard to capture the feeling that it creates when they play, they are full of

energy and make the environment feel celebratory and inclusive. Some tenants say they come up especially to hear the piano played. Some tenants sing along to the songs on the piano,” she says.

And some residents have truly amazing skills – for example, the multi-talented Chris.

“Chris regularly plays the piano. He is amazing on it and wonderful to listen to. He’s doing Grade 8 music at Victoria University and is a skilled musician. He can also play the Indian sitar! I discovered this when I visited him at his flat and saw it there; I suggested he bring it up to play at the café. He did and it was brilliant.”

As well as music and food, the tenants

regularly do the Dominion Post daily quiz together, and appoint a quiz champion each week, based on their contribution to the quiz.

Sara is proud of the difference the café is making to residents’ lives and how it reduces the risk of isolation, especially for older tenants. She has been moved by the enthusiasm of the tenants in making the café their own over the couple of months it’s been running:

“The really cool thing about the café is how everyone gets in and contributes what they can. Tenants are donating items for the café: milk jugs, teaspoon holders, a couch, spatulas, they all seem to want to contribute.”

DECEMBER 2016


Vera’s green thumbs transform suburban garden

Papakura’s Vera Marshall may rent her Housing New Zealand home, but the house-proud 54-year-old treats the property like she owns it. In the three years she’s lived there she has transformed the garden from tidy but bare, to a suburban oasis boasting a vegetable garden, ornaments and a colourful array of flowers“I just love gardens,” the former painter and landscaper says. “I like pottering around and making something out of nothing.

“My family say to me ‘you do so much, what happens if you have to move out?’. But it doesn’t matter to me what property I go to – I’ll always do them up. I treat them like I own them – that’s how I look at it.”

Vera says she can visualise how she wants a garden to look as soon as she sees it and while hers now looks a million dollars, it’s hardly cost her a penny.

“I’ve traded bacon and egg pie for stones and dirt! To me, it’s not about the money but what you can exchange and do for each other in return.

“I’ll ask the guys at the transfer station

to look out for certain things for me – I’ve brought back corrugated iron and a broken water fountain which I’ve done up and hooked in to the irrigation system!”

The mother-of-four and grandmother-of-six is partially deaf and, after becoming ill in 2007, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. But that doesn’t stop her getting her hands dirty on the days she’s feeling up to it.

“Being out in the garden is my therapy. It’s good for my mental health and it’s my enjoyment – I love it,” says Vera, who can turn her hand to most things, including repairing mowers. “I wanted to make a

happy, bright place, inspire people and be a star tenant for Housing New Zealand.”

And Vera’s Tenancy Manager, Afran Khan, says she’s achieved exactly that.

“It’s always a pleasure visiting properties like Vera’s – she keeps the home in immaculate condition inside and out. She takes such pride in her home and really looks after it.”

Vera also beautified her former Housing New Zealand property in Papakura’s Cross Street and, as a result, took out two awards in the final year of Housing New Zealand’s Garden Awards in 2008.

Rooftops Issue 8 - Housing New Zealand Corporation · Rooftops Issue 8 DECEMBER 2016 Rooftops is...

Documents

Transcript of Rooftops Issue 8 - Housing New Zealand Corporation · Rooftops Issue 8 DECEMBER 2016 Rooftops is...