3 April 2020
Mr Tom Dickie
[email address]
[FYI request #12499 email]
Dear Mr Dickie
Thank you for your requests on 21 March 2020, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act), for the following information from Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities:
1.
Is Kāinga Ora planning to buy KiwiBuild houses as part of their transitional housing stock
strategy in Christchurch and Dunedin and if so how many?
2.
How many state housing places, if any, have been provided for via a lease or purchase by
Kāinga Ora in the last six months in Christchurch and Dunedin?
3.
How many households are accommodated in hotels and motels for emergency for
transitional housing reasons as at end February 2020 in Christchurch and Dunedin?
4.
Of the 1000 transitional houses which the government is planning on delivering how many
are proposed to be provided in Christchurch and Dunedin and what is the timescale for
completion in each City?
This response covers your first and second requests. As you were advised on 27 March 2020,
via the fyi.org.nz website, your third and fourth requests have been transferred to the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as the information to which your request relates is
believed to be more closely connected with the functions of that Ministry.
I can advise you that Kāinga Ora is not currently planning to purchase any KiwiBuild properties
in Christchurch or Dunedin for use as transitional housing.
However, it may interest you to know that in January 2020, Kāinga Ora did purchase six
KiwiBuild properties in the Waimakariri District. In this particular case, the purchases were made
to meet an immediate need for warm, dry, secure accommodation for people and families
currently living in motels or other emergency accommodation. The people and families in these
homes are provided a wrap-around service for a period of time to help them eventually move
into sustainable, long term housing.
To support delivery of transitional housing Kāinga Ora is working alongside HUD to look at
opportunities to deliver more much needed transitional housing, right across New Zealand,
particularly in areas where there are families in emergency motel accommodation.
The final number of transitional homes delivered in each region will depend on potential
opportunities, due diligence on properties to ensure they are warm, dry and safe, and the result
of commercial negotiations, as well as where there are families in emergency motel
accommodation.
Regional Housing Fact Sheets which report on regional housing supply, including transitional
housing places, are published by HUD every quarter. You can find this information at
https://www.hud.govt.nz/community-and-public-housing/follow-our-progress/. In the six months from 1 September 2019 to 29 February 2020 Kāinga Ora purchased eight
properties to use as state housing. During this time no other properties for use as state housing
were purchased or leased in Christchurch or Dunedin City. It may interest you to know that 17
properties to use as Community Group Housing, and six properties for use as emergency
housing, were also purchased in Christchurch City within this six month period.
I trust this information is helpful.
Yours sincerely
Rachel Kelly
Manager Government Relations
