Reviewable terms for new state house tenants

The Government says it will introduce reviewable tenancies for new State tenants and ask community organisations to help with providing more housing, as it struggles with waiting lists for state houses.

READ ALSO: Labour, housing group slam state house change

Housing Minister Phil Heatley has today confirmed Cabinet's acceptance of key recommendations made by the Housing Shareholders Advisory Group (HSAG), but Labour said National was just trying to get community organisations to do its job.

Mr Heatley said Cabinet had agreed to bring in reviewable tenancies for all new state housing tenants from July 1 next year.

"I want to reiterate that any changes made will not adversely affect current, elderly or infirm tenants," he said.

Providing good quality state housing to those most in need, for the duration of that need, was the main driver behind the changes, he said.

"We will be actively working with community housing providers of affordable homes, and on mechanisms to make the provision of such housing attractive to potential suppliers.

"Community organisations like the Housing Foundation, Salvation Army, Comcare, IHC and VisionWest have already demonstrated they can successfully provide housing including specialist housing for the elderly and disabled."

Officials would work with community organisations to identify the best way to address current constraints and challenges to their growth.

"The concept of the state providing a guaranteed state home for life, regardless of improvements in the personal circumstances of tenants, is no longer sustainable or desirable," he said.

"Despite record levels of Government investment waiting lists in high demand areas continue to grow. Those in most desperate need of a state house are held out of a property by those who are paying a market rent and could, in some cases, move into the private rental market," he said.

"We need to focus HNZC efforts on looking after tenants in need. To do this we need to allow them to move tenants who no longer need support out of a state house. They also need to be able to address the under-utilisation of properties. It is not right that a single person lives in a four or five-bedroom home, while families of six or more live in garages."

Labour's housing spokeswoman Moana Mackey said the Government response to the HSAG report lacked detail and deliberately avoided the hard issues.

Labour agreed the community housing sector was in a good position to work alongside the state in building new neighbourhoods and increasing the supply of social and affordable housing.

"Labour's concern is that National is trying to absolve itself from its responsibilities in social housing and is expecting community groups to do the Government's job for them. Labour strongly believes that any involvement of the community housing sector must be as well as, not instead of, continued Government investment.

Ms Mackey said that plans to introduce fixed term tenancies for state house tenants would not do anything to address the housing shortage.