2011-2012 Annual Report - Full Version - PDF - Palmerston North ...

CommunitySupportWhat the Council Does HousingActivity - HousingWhat the Council doesThe Council owns 311 community housing units at17 locations around the City (including Ashhurst).The Council’s Social Housing Strategy guidesCouncil’s actions in this area. Under the currentstrategy the Council’s commitment is to providesafe and accessible housing firstly for low incomeelderly, followed by people with special needs.Tenants are charged income-related rents.The Council also provides 96 public housing unitsat three locations around the City (Achilles Court,Rakaia Place and Waiheke Court). Tenants in theseare charged at market rentals. Hence this housingis part of the Council’s Commercial or StrategicInvestments Activity.The Council has a small networking and monitoringrole with other organisations on wider housingissues in the City.Why the Council does this and itscontribution to Council vision andmajor goalsThis Activity contributes to the Council’s majorgoal of being a city where people want to livebecause it is a caring community that looks afterthose in need. (For example, low-income olderpeople or people on low incomes with additionalneeds.) The new housing developments will bemore eco-friendly so will contribute to the goal ofbeing environmentally sustainable.The Council provides community housing to helpensure that those older people on low incomesand with the least amount of wealth are takencare of during the time of their greatest need andoften vulnerability. This is in recognition of thecontribution they have made to society in theiryounger years.There is a clear connection between qualityhousing options and positive mental health anddisability outcomes. The Council’s communityhousing is also available to people on disabilitybenefits. This provides housing that is affordable,acts as a safe environment, helps with the longpath towards recovery and caters to those wheretraditional housing options do not meet theirspecific requirements.What happened in the yearIn general the 2011/12 year has been a positiveone for the community housing. The occupancyrate within the complexes has continued to behigh at between 96.5 and 99 percent with rentalrevenue slightly above budget. There is a strongwaiting list of people wanting to move into thecommunity housing complexes, both in the over65 age group and in the invalid’s benefit group.MASH Trust lease 25 units at Cardrona Close andtwo at Wood Street, this arrangement is workingwell and looks to continue into the future. Duringthe year an EECA funded insulation programmewas instigated and has resulted in the units allreceiving ceiling, and where possible, under-floorinsulation.The Council provides communityhousing to help ensure that thoseolder people on low incomes andwith the least amount of wealthare taken care of during the timeof their greatest need and oftenvulnerability. This is in recognitionof the contribution they have madeto society in their younger years.It had become apparent over time that the lockand key systems at the complexes were out ofdate and security for the tenants was becominga risk. New locks have been installed which willimprove this situation. At the end of June a surveysent to the tenants regarding management ofthe physical assets and tenant liaison servicesevidenced high satisfaction and provides usefulfeedback to Council staff on future enhancementsand for planning.The 2012/13 year will be one of improving thegeneral condition of the housing stock. Manyof the units are in need of exterior painting withsome of the outside spaces needing attention tocar parking areas and pathways in general. Thisyear will be the start of the capital programmeto convert bedsits to one bedroom units. Bedsitsare more difficult to tenant than the one bedroomunits and traditionally go to the younger peopleon invalid’s benefits who are less concerned aboutthe smaller size of the units.54 Palmerston North City Council Annual Report 2011/12