Groups bid to take over state houses

Accessible Properties chairman Paul Adams

Tauranga Moana Te Puke Housing Consortium and Accessible Properties Ltd will both bid to take over 1124 state houses in Tauranga - with one proposing to create a doctor's surgery and vibrant community centre in Merivale.

Last week, Housing New Zealand Minister Bill English and Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett called for expressions of interest from Community Housing Providers to transfer social housing in Tauranga and Invercargill under the Government's Social Housing Reform Programme.

Accessible Properties chairman Paul Adams (pictured) said it was looking to purchase the entire Tauranga portfolio and would work with other social agencies to provide support services.

Accessible Properties Ltd, which is owned by IHC, was the largest non-governmental organisation involved in social housing and the IHC had been in the business for nearly 60 years. It had about 1200 homes around New Zealand, he said.

That meant it had "the ability to fund the purchase of something like the Tauranga portfolio and even further afield like Auckland".

However, Mr Adams said it was looking to work with iwi groups, social housing providers and other interested parties to submit a comprehensive proposal.

Mr Adams assured existing tenants' rents would remain as was presently offered to tenants, while property maintenance and presentation would improve. It had explored the possibility of creating community-based facilities "to bring a heart to the suburb and community".

Tauranga Moana Te Puke Housing Consortium spokeswoman Victoria Kingi confirmed it would also bid for the Tauranga portfolio and had signed a Heads of Agreement with the Masterton Trust House Community Enterprise to provide tenancy management after the trust successfully negotiated the transfer of 500 Housing New Zealand homes in 2003.

The consortium had three iwi authorities including Tapuika, Nga Potiki and Ngati Ranginui who were already involved in social housing and had affordable housing projects underway, Ms Kingi said.

The consortium would would lever off treaty settlements and land equity and strong investor support when it put its financial model together.