Pensioner housing units upgraded
27 April 2016
More than $300,000 has been spent in the last 12 months improving council's pensioner housing units.
Improvements have included installation of air conditioning and heating units, resealing of driveways, insulation, painting and double glazing.
Four units have also been completely refurbished.
The improvements have been made possible due to changes to the council's pensioner housing policy. Last year the Council began the process of raising rents for pensioner housing units from 75 per cent to 100 per cent of the market rate.
The policy change will put an additional $3 million into Council's pensioner housing budget over the next decade, all of it ring-fenced for improvements or possibly new housing stock.
All but one of the 128 tenants are now paying full market rent.
For Mayor Jim Mylchreest, the investment into pensioner housing is now more important than ever.
We need to make sure quality housing options are available for our elderly, particularly as there aren't a lot of one bedroom houses being built by the private sector. As a district, we are home to 7,500 people over 65 and with the large population growth we are facing, this figure is only going to go up, he said.
Right now we have 52 people on the waiting list for our units and there is no doubt this will grow in the future.
Last year Council confirmed that pensioner housing in Waipa must be self-funding and could not be subsidised by rates.
The extra income from market rents has meant we can invest in our pensioner housing and make sure it's up to a standard that our residents feel comfortable with.
Waipa District Council's pensioner housing rental rates are independently reviewed each year. Last year's policy review confirmed that any increases must be capped at a maximum of $30 per week. Government-funded accommodation supplements are available to most tenants, bringing any increase down by around two thirds.
We are very aware of the need to keep our pensioner housing rental costs affordable and will continue to review our annual rent assessments to make sure this is the case, Mylchreest said.
Waipa District Council's pensioner housing portfolio provides housing for 135 people in 128 pensioner housing units - 68 in Cambridge and 60 in Te Awamutu.
For more information, contact: Natalie Palmer, 027 807 3174