Housing Reserve Fund changes Debate

Community Wellbeing - Togetherness

Option 2

The comments highlight a strong community need for structured support funded by the council, as there is an excessive reliance on volunteers to assist vulnerable members. Expanding the Housing Reserve Fund is seen as crucial for maintaining and enhancing networks that connect professionals and agencies working with vulnerable populations, ensuring effective updates and relationship building. Additionally, there is a call for the council's support in the development of the Te Tau Ihu Community Development Agency to foster better collaboration and resource allocation among social service agencies, which is currently hindered by financial constraints.

Table of comments:

Point No	Comment
1324.5	The vulnerable members of our community need more support to be able to live in a safe, dry and warm environment.  Council needs to support those organisations that already exist to be able to provide the on the ground support that is needed, to keep people safe and well.  Working across the community and Council is key, funded by Council.  There is too much reliance on volunteers.
1493.1	Housing Reserve Fund Changes:I support Option 2Thank you for NCC's contribution to the Vulnerable Housing Network (VHN) , both funding for the Coordinator and the work of the Community Partner Advisor.This is an essential network to keep For Purpose professionals and statutory agencies connected.  It ensures everyone is kept up to date with the constant changes for those who are in vulnerable housing and homeless situations, updates on changes within specific organisations and building relationships across the agencies. Please continue to support this network.  There is urgent need for more affordable rental accommodation. NCC needs to keep lobbying Kainga Ora to ensure they deliver on their original promise of 100 + social houses in this region as soon as possible.  I also support the continuation of community housing agencies accessing the Housing Reserve fund.   NCC needs to follow up on the recommendations that come out of the Vulnerable Housing research you have commissioned Meihana Consulting to do.  Request for NCC to investigate the number of houses sitting empty and consider ways to make them available for rent eg charge higher rates, connect them with social agencies to assist with finding appropriate tenants. Te Tau Ihu Community Development Agency is going to be a valuable organisation for all social service agencies to work in a more collaborative, effective way.   Right now individual agencies are under great stress due to lack of financial resources.  This leads to a lack of secure, consistent support to the most vulnerable and lack of time to collaborate for better outcomes.  NCC's support will be vital for further development of this agency.  The VHN will be able to sit under this agency as one of the specific action groups working across the sector. NCC's Community Investment Fund is one of the essential funds for community organisations to apply to.  A number of years ago $100.000 was switched over to the Healthy Homes programme from CIF leaving only $300.000.   It is time for NCC to switch it back into CIF to boost the effectiveness of CIF please!Thankyou for this opportunity to participate in the LTP.
1493.1	Housing Reserve Fund Changes:I support Option 2Thank you for NCC's contribution to the Vulnerable Housing Network (VHN) , both funding for the Coordinator and the work of the Community Partner Advisor.This is an essential network to keep For Purpose professionals and statutory agencies connected.  It ensures everyone is kept up to date with the constant changes for those who are in vulnerable housing and homeless situations, updates on changes within specific organisations and building relationships across the agencies. Please continue to support this network.  There is urgent need for more affordable rental accommodation. NCC needs to keep lobbying Kainga Ora to ensure they deliver on their original promise of 100 + social houses in this region as soon as possible.  I also support the continuation of community housing agencies accessing the Housing Reserve fund.   NCC needs to follow up on the recommendations that come out of the Vulnerable Housing research you have commissioned Meihana Consulting to do.  Request for NCC to investigate the number of houses sitting empty and consider ways to make them available for rent eg charge higher rates, connect them with social agencies to assist with finding appropriate tenants. Te Tau Ihu Community Development Agency is going to be a valuable organisation for all social service agencies to work in a more collaborative, effective way.   Right now individual agencies are under great stress due to lack of financial resources.  This leads to a lack of secure, consistent support to the most vulnerable and lack of time to collaborate for better outcomes.  NCC's support will be vital for further development of this agency.  The VHN will be able to sit under this agency as one of the specific action groups working across the sector. NCC's Community Investment Fund is one of the essential funds for community organisations to apply to.  A number of years ago $100.000 was switched over to the Healthy Homes programme from CIF leaving only $300.000.   It is time for NCC to switch it back into CIF to boost the effectiveness of CIF please!Thankyou for this opportunity to participate in the LTP.