The benefits of community housing

The added value of Dwell Housing Trust and community housing

The money invested in Dwell remains in community ownership and for public good.

A proven model

International evidence shows that growing the community housing sector is a successful way of increasing the supply of social and affordable housing. Over several decades most OECD countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA, have increased the size of their community housing sectors. Governments internationally are working in partnership with the community housing sector, rather than directly providing housing themselves, for a number of reasons.

Flexibility

Community housing providers tend to have greater ability to be flexible and innovative. We are able to provide a wider range of housing, including shared equity and low cost home ownership. We can work in partnership with a range of partners and in a range of different ways. This flexibility also makes us better placed to address specialised and complex housing needs or work closely with organisations that do.

Responsive

Local organisations are responsive to the housing needs in their local communities and provide the range of services needed. Community housing providers know and understand their local communities. Dwells works closely with a network of local social service agencies.

Better value for money

The sector is able to provide better value for money as it can leverage government funding with funding from a range of private and public resources, and can borrow against the properties it owns. This allows government funding to go further and meet a greater proportion of unmet need.

The sector is independent from government and therefore less subject to short-term political influence than public sector housing providers. They can therefore take a longer-term approach in the management of their businesses to meet the housing and support needs of their communities. This is unlike public housing organisations whose governance, management and operations are subject to the ideology or policies of the government at the time.

Dwell’s accountability to tenants, government and community

Dwell is registered with the Community Housing Regulatory Authority (CHRA) - an independent agency within the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development which registers and regulates community housing providers (CHPs) in New Zealand.

Organisations which demonstrate the ability to meet the CHRA Performance Standards become registered as a ‘Community Housing Provider’. Since 2014, registered CHPs have been able to provide homes to those on the Housing Register and access the Income Related Rent Subsidy. Dwell Housing Trust was one of the first CHPs in New Zealand to obtain registration.

This registration provides assurance to government and supporters that our services are meeting best practise standards and we are using taxpayers’ money for public good and not private gain.