9. MELISSA LEE (National) to the Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made about funding from the Social Housing Unit?

Hon PHIL HEATLEY (Minister of Housing) : Today I had the great pleasure of announcing, along with Minister Turia, the first tranche of projects to receive funding from the Social Housing Fund, which is administered by the Social Housing Unit. Eleven organisations have received funding totalling $7.2 million for projects valued at $15.7 million. They will provide 56 new homes with 160 bedrooms for people in need, from single elderly people to people with physical disabilities or mental illness and families in need of a helping hand, in locations from Northland to Christchurch.

Melissa Lee: What kinds of projects have benefited from this funding?

Hon PHIL HEATLEY: All 11 organisations have been successful because their projects have demonstrated they would meet a very real need in their communities. For example, the VisionWest Community Trust received $1.2 million to build 6 three- or four-bedroom houses for affordable rentals, the Nelson Tasman Housing Trust received $1 million for a similar project, the Kahungunu Executive in the Hawke’s Bay received $1 million to retrofit 10 three- or four-bedroom homes, and the Bays Community Housing Trust received $500,000 for five-bedroom homes on the North Shore. It is a very successful programme. We trust the community housing sector.