Oxford Terrace Baptist Church Wednesday 24 August 2022
When a city focuses strategically on housing needs healthy communities, healthy families and healthy individuals are the result.
If a child has a stable home, then they have the chance to thrive. By attending the same school, health centre, nearby library and playing at the local park they grow into the sorts of people who make great future citizens. We need to make this a city priority.
At present the challenges are:
- Proposals by central government to force high density housing onto this city over which this has city responded badly.
- 2000 people on a waiting list waiting for a home.
- 460 children are living in motels right now moving from place to place around our city.
- Young people are unable to afford their own first home.
- CCC does not strongly support community housing providers to assist with the demand for housing.
Some would say that the negative statistics in housing are the responsibility of central government. That is so wrong. It’s burying our heads in the sand. These statistics are flesh and blood in our city. They are people that many of us know, that you work with every day. Are we going to just shrug and say that this is central government’s responsibility? Or are we going to pretend they don’t exist?
I have a track record of advocating passionately for resources and applying appropriate local solutions. As Mayor I will be the advocate for solutions for all these challenges. Christchurch City Council developed the Otautahi Community Housing Trust and I would expand this Trust alongside many other community housing providers.
I am proposing:
- We must respond quickly to address the intensification of housing in inappropriate parts of the city. I would lead the strengthening of the planning section of CCC so that we have a well-planned city rather than a well crammed one.
- In Queenstown the council requires developers to have inclusionary zoning on every subdivision with sections allocated to the Queenstown Lakes Housing Trust to supply affordable rental and owned housing. I would support this being developed in Christchurch through the Otautahi Community Housing Trust.
- I will promote development contribution levies to not be charged for community housing providers.
- CCC has significant land holdings, as does the state. I do not support the selling off of these to the private sector for their individual gain. The sites which call for immediate attention include the Red Bus site in Fitzgerald Avenue / Morehouse Avenue corner and the Orange Stadium sites, but there are many more. For each of these sites a master plan would be developed which would include:
- Community housing providers on which to build affordable and social housing.
- Land on which first home buyers could build a home like how the Queenstown Lakes Housing Trust operates with first home buyers.
- A mix of shops and offices for artists, community operations and private businesses.
- Housing development has occurred in a hap hazard manner and driven by private sector interests across the Greater Christchurch Councils. It’s time to encourage a better collaborative framework for our housing options in this area.
- Central government needs strong advocacy from a mayor who passionately advocates for our share of housing resources.
CCC needs your sector to be on side. Otautahi Community Housing Trust has been a nationally recognised success. I want to see this Trust grow alongside stronger partnerships with community housing sector. Let’s makes sure that this city becomes a shining example of strong partnerships between local and central government and the community housing sector.