Housing and Development Minister Phil Twyford has introduced the Kāinga Ora—Homes and Communities Bill to Parliament.

The bill establishes Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities as a Crown entity which will focus on providing good quality, affordable housing choices, supporting access to jobs, amenities and services and enhancing the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of communities.

The bill seeks to address the challenges related to unprecedented pressure from strong population growth, changing preferences and an aging population.

Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities will have two key roles: being a public housing landlord, and leading and co-ordinating urban development projects.

The bill consolidates central government housing by disestablishing Housing New Zealand and its development subsidiary, HLC (2017) Limited, putting Housing New Zealand and HLC’s functions and assets into Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities, repealing the Housing Corporation Act 1974 (clause 30) and putting some of the functions and assets related to KiwiBuild that currently sit in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development into Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities.

The bill respects the Crown’s responsibility to consider and provide for Māori interests under clause 4.

The Government policy statement on the bill can be found here.

Part 1 contains preliminary provisions and the establishment of Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities.

Clauses 8-12 – Subpart 2—Establishment and objective of Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities.

Clauses 13-14 - Subpart 3—Functions and operating principles of Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities.

Clauses 15-21 – Subpart 4—Other provisions about Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities.

This subpart provides for various matters such as re-enacting without substantive change the existing investigation and information-gathering powers about the circumstances of applicants for financial assistance for home ownership, disapplying the powers in Treaty settlement legislation which provide that Housing New Zealand Corporation may dispose of rights of first refusal land to any person if the disposal is to give effect to the Crown’s social objectives in relation to housing or services related to housing.

Clauses 22-29 - Part 2 Other matters. Subpart 1 – Government policy statement on housing and urban development.

Clauses 30-34 - Subpart 2 provides for Amendments to other enactments including:

• Repealing the Housing Corporation Act 1974
• Changing the name of and making amendments to the Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters Act 1992, which is the principal legislation under which Housing New Zealand delivers public housing assistance.

If passed, the Act will come into force on 1 October 2019.