Government names five strategic housing partners to deliver 1,500 new homes
In a move to accelerate the rollout of social housing, the government has announced five new strategic partnerships with community housing providers (CHPs), aimed at delivering 1,500 homes funded in Budget 2024.
The initiative includes $140 million in new funding and signals a departure from previous project-by-project contracting methods.
Housing Minister Chris Bishop (pictured left) said the government is on track to meet its target by June 2027.
“We are on track to get these much-needed homes delivered by 30 June 2027,” Bishop said.
New model to replace traditional contracting
Of the total 1,500 homes, 500 will come from existing CHP project pipelines, now labelled the “maintaining momentum” stream. So far, 218 places have been approved under this category.
“Under the maintaining momentum pathway, contracting is done on a project-by-project basis,” Bishop said. “In the short term, this was the most efficient way of getting on with delivering social homes.”
To streamline the process, the remainder of homes will be delivered under strategic partnerships.
“Strategic partnerships represent a more efficient contracting approach, where CHPs will have more autonomy, certainty, and flexibility to deliver social housing,” Bishop said.
Meet the new housing partners
The five CHPs selected for their proven capability and scale include:
- Accessible Properties New Zealand
- Community of Refuge Trust (CORT)
- Emerge Aotearoa Housing Trust
- Te Āhuru Mōwai Limited Partnership
- The Salvation Army
To date, 661 social housing places have already been committed through the Strategic Partnership model—393 with confirmed addresses and 268 allocated by provider capacity.
Targeting the right homes in the right places
The government is also focused on aligning the type and location of homes with actual need. Of the places allocated so far:
- 46% are one-bedroom homes
- 38% are two-bedroom homes
Geographically, the highest concentration of housing will be delivered in:
- Waikato (23%)
- Auckland (21%)
- Nelson (15%)
- Bay of Plenty (14%)
- Other key areas make up the remaining 27%.
Delivering with confidence and flexibility
Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka (pictured right) stressed the importance of keeping momentum high.
“It is important to keep delivery of social housing going,” Potaka said. “By moving to a more reliable, outcome-focused partnership model, we are setting the stage for certainty for CHPs to provide social homes faster and more flexibly to individuals and whanau in need.”
All homes are expected to be delivered by mid-2027, with the first completions due this year. The remaining homes are expected to receive approval in the coming months.
Broader support for community housing sector
The announcement follows recent steps to enhance the role of CHPs and level the playing field with Kāinga Ora. This includes:
- A $150 million Crown lending facility for the Community Housing Funding Agency (CHFA)
- A proposed loan guarantee scheme for CHPs
- $70m in upfront operating supplement funding
- Updated contract terms to make revenue streams more appealing to lenders
“These Strategic Partnerships are intended to be lasting relationships that can adapt to housing need and funding availability over time,” Bishop said.
The new model is designed not only to speed up housing delivery but also to create more durable, scalable pathways for community-led housing solutions.
