Response from Kainga Ora Homes and Communities.pdf

11 March 2022

Brendon Mil s
[email address]
[email address]
[FYI request #18124 email]

Dear Mr Mills

Thank you for your emails dated 8 January 2022 to Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities
requesting the following information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):

1)  I would like to know, what is the annual average cost of a KO house, ie insurance,
rates, and maintenance spread out over 52 weeks

2)  I would like to know how many state houses (those owned by Kainga Ora) currently
have tenancies managed by third parties, ie iwi, etc.
I would also like to know who these organisations are, and where the houses are that
they manage.

3)  I would like to know what discussions/briefings/reporting/analysis has taken place on
the possible complete exit of the government from the provision of housing (ie
complete sell off of all state housing stock), over the period from 1990 - 2021.

I have discussed your request with the relevant staff in Kāinga Ora and respond to your
requests below.

1) Annual average cost of a Kāinga Ora house
Kāinga Ora has a diverse housing portfolio, consisting of a number of building types such as
apartments, semi-detached units, and standalone homes. Rates can also vary considerably
within territorial local authorities and across New Zealand.

I can advise you that across the 68,169 properties over the 2020/21 financial year, Kāinga
Ora spent $20 mil ion on insurance, $182 mil ion on rates, and $552 mil ion on maintenance
(excluding the retrofit programme).

A large amount of financial data is reported each year in the Kāinga Ora annual report,
which are available at https:/ kaingaora.govt.nz/publications/annual-report/.

Information about the management of the Kāinga Ora housing portfolio over the 2020/21
financial year from page 20 onwards. There is also more information about the kinds of
housing Kāinga Ora is building at: https:/ kaingaora.govt.nz/developments-and-
programmes/what-were-building/.

For insurance, the Kāinga Ora policy is:

‘Kāinga Ora-Homes and Communities manages some risks against loss of assets by
entering into insurance contracts where the cost of insurance is less than the
probable loss. However, the Corporation does retain certain risks where it is prudent
to do so, notably fire damage to rental properties worth less than $1 mil ion.’

2) Number of how many state houses (those owned by Kainga Ora) currently have tenancies
managed by third parties, ie iwi, etc.I would also like to know who these organisations are,
and where the houses are that they managed.

While Kāinga Ora manages state house tenancies, it also leases or rents some of its
properties to third parties such as Community Housing Providers or Community Groups,
some of which offer residential services. For privacy reasons, Kāinga Ora does not publish
the names of these groups, but more thorough information about the Kāinga Ora public
housing portfolio is covered in the 2020/21 annual report.

A recent example of a leasing arrangement occurred in October 2020, when Kāinga Ora
leased 902 properties to Te Āhuru Mōwai (a CHP established by Ngāti Toa) as part of the
Western Porirua Housing Partnership Project. You can find more information about it at the
following links:
  •  https:/ kaingaora.govt.nz/news/porirua-homes-to-be-upgraded-through-housing-
partnership/
•  https:/ www.teahurumowai.co.nz.

3) Discussions/briefings/reporting/analysis has taken place on the possible complete exit of
the government from the provision of housing (ie complete sell off of all state housing stock),
over the period from 1990 - 2021.

Following a search of Kāinga Ora records and after consultations with staff who were in the
organisations that preceded Kāinga Ora, no documents or information within scope of this
request were identified.

Separately, both the Treasury and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development also
advised that they were not aware of records existing that matched this request. I am
therefore refusing your third request under section 18(e) of the Act, as ‘the document alleged
to contain the information requested does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it,
cannot be found.’

However, the Treasury did publish a history of housing transfers that took place form April
2010 to December 2017 that contains a number of links. You can read about this at:
https://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/history-social-housing-transfers-%E2%80%93-
april-2010-december-2017/.

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this response.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or Freephone 0800 802 602.

Please note that Kāinga Ora proactively releases our responses to official information
requests where possible. Our response to your request may be published at https://kainga
ora.govt.nz/publications/official-information-requests with your personal information
removed.

Yours sincerely

Don Badman
Acting Manager, Government Relations