Affordable Housing

This consultation has now closed for feedback. The results are being collated and will be presented to Council at their meeting on Wednesday 6 July. Thank you to everyone who gave their feedback.

You may have noticed that property prices in Central Otago have been escalating and for some people home ownership is becoming increasingly difficult.

The Central Otago District Council has been considering whether it has a role in the development of affordable housing. To help guide Council’s decision, we’d love to get your views before we progress.

The Central Otago Affordable Housing Trust has approached Council seeking support to set up a Secure Homes model to deliver affordable homes to residents. The Trust has requested that the Council gift one third of any of Council’s residential developments to an affordable housing trust.

Council has two properties that are earmarked for residential development. The two properties are situated in Gair Avenue in Cromwell and in Dunstan Road in Alexandra. If Council agrees to the Trust’s proposal these properties will be subject to a Council policy to gift land to the Trust.

If a Secure Homes model is adopted this will give some people access to a home who otherwise could not afford it. These homes would remain affordable under this model for generations to come, as capital gains are not earned when a property is sold back to the Trust.

It is estimated that this land could accommodate approximately 18 semi-detached homes in both Cromwell and Alexandra (36 in total). Who would get to purchase these homes would be determined by criteria that may include things such as income, assets, not having owned a house before and how long applicants have lived in Central Otago. The specific criteria would be developed by the Trust should Council decide to progress with the gifting of the land.

If Council agrees to support the Trust in this proposal that will mean that there is approximately $8 million no longer available for projects in each of the Vincent and Cromwell wards. This may result in fewer projects being delivered to the community in the future and/or an impact on rates.

We would love your feedback on this proposal. To let us know what you think, complete the survey at the link below by Sunday 5 June 2022.

Your feedback will help guide councillors to make a decision on this important issue. Community feedback will be considered at the 13 July Council meeting and we will report back on the outcome here on our Let’s Talk engagement hub, on Council’s website and in our CODC Noticeboard in The News.

We appreciate this is still at a very high-level conceptual stage. If Council decides to proceed with this proposal, we will formally consult with the community through the long-term plan process and this will involve a lot more detail including financials and such things as eligibility criteria for affordable housing.