Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Annual Report 2018/2019 released

This is the organisation’s first Annual Report since its establishment in October 2018. It reflects the progress we have made working with the Government to deliver on their priorities, alongside the outcomes we are seeking to achieve for New Zealanders: vibrant, flourishing communities, wellbeing through housing, affordable housing for every generation, and a self-adjusting system.

HUD is working across the system, with others, to prevent and reduce homelessness, increase public and private housing supply, make homes warmer and healthier, make housing more affordable for people to rent and buy, and to support quality urban development and thriving communities.

As a new agency, a key focus for HUD has also been to ensure we have the foundations in place (resources, structures and systems) to fulfil this cross-system role and deliver on our work programme.

A significant programme of work is underway, and a lot has already been achieved. Some key achievements are:

• Provided more housing for those most in need:
  • Delivered 2,178 new public housing places, exceeding the target set in the Public Housing Plan of 1,600. This was the biggest annual increase to public housing in nearly 20 years.
  • Introduced 204 new transitional housing places between 1 October 2018 to 30 June 2019, providing individuals and families with short-term arrangements, particularly in high need regions, while longer-term options are sought.
  • Worked in partnership with providers and stakeholders to expand Housing First, a programme to house and support homeless people with multiple, high and complex needs, to three new locations (Wellington, Rotorua and Blenheim).
• Made improvements to the rental environment:
  • Developed healthy homes standards that aim to make rental homes warmer and drier
  • Progressed a reform of the Residential Tenancies Act to improve security of tenure for renters.
• Developed legislation to establish Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, a Crown agency responsible for being a public housing landlord and facilitating and leading integrated urban development that provides a mix of public, affordable and market housing.
• Established Te Kāhui Kāinga Ora – a Māori Housing Unit that will lead HUD’s work to lift housing and urban development outcomes for Māori.
• Developed a cross-agency, system level approach to preventing and reducing homelessness.
• Increased momentum in the Land for Housing Programme, including land acquisitions to support around 700 new houses, and by advancing the master planning for 26.5 hectares of land at Unitec, Mt Albert.
• Continued to progress key work programmes under the Urban Growth Agenda, for example:
  • Progressed work on a National Policy Statement on Urban Development
  • Entered into formal urban growth partnerships with Auckland Council and with the Waikato Future Proof partners for the Hamilton to Auckland Corridor.

Our focus for the next year will be on building on what we’ve achieved to date, to enable us to successfully deliver on our medium and long-term outcomes. 

Annual Report 2018-2019