Housing report a good first step

The Salvation Army is hailing the Housing Shareholders’ Advisory Group report on social housing as an important step in solving the shortage of affordable housing in New Zealand.

Salvation Army spokesman Captain Gerry Walker says the deficit in affordable housing of a good standard has long been a major cause of hardship for many families seeking help from Salvation Army community service centres, particularly in the main centres.

Affordable and suitable housing is a basic need and central to the physical and emotional health of families, particularly children, Captain Walker says.

Private rents often eat up more than 60 per cent of the household budgets of the families we see, and overcrowding is commonplace, he says.

“I believe any creative thinking around solving the deficit of suitable and affordable housing will be welcomed by NGO welfare agencies,” Captain Walker says.

“This fresh approach to provide housing for those most in need, and making the private sector, iwi, NGOs and others part of the solution, will be important if we are to make social housing sustainable – now we have to make it work.”

The Salvation Army has estimated South Auckland needs another 3000 homes to meet population growth. It estimates around 20,000 Aucklanders live in overcrowded conditions.