First step to addressing housing issues

Taupo District Council has secured an additional $30,000 of funding from Housing NZ to set up a Trust to address affordable housing in the Taupo Urban Area.

The funding allocated to Taupo District Council through the Housing Innovation Fund, will be used to cover the initial set up costs of establishing the independent, robust and sustainable Community Land Trust (CLT), to be named ‘Lake Taupo Housing Trust'.

The Trust will assist with reducing the barriers to entry into the homeownership market in the Taupo Township.

Councillor Kathryn Uvhagen, Chairman of the Taupo - Kaingaroa/Mangakino - Pouakani Committee (Northern Rating Area) said “The goal is to work towards a collaborative approach to increase housing affordability through key partnerships between Local Government, Central Government, financial institutions, not-for-profit organisations and key industry players.”

A scoping report was pulled together in 2007 looking at the feasibility of establishing a Community Land Trust for Taupo Urban Area. The report provided guidance and a strong recommendation for the creation of a Land Trust in order to address the Council's objective of improving housing affordability.

The funding granted will allow the development of a legal and financially sustainable framework for the trust.