Better access to Auckland Council’s Housing for Older Persons for those most in need is behind changes approved by the Auckland Development Committee on 12 November 2015.
The changes, which will not impact on current tenants or those on the waiting list for housing, include raising the minimum age criteria from 60 to 65 and standardising the asset threshold, which has previously ranged from $17,500 to $55,000 across the region.
The new criteria will take effect from 1 January 2016. It applies to new applicants, but will not affect those already living in rental units or those currently on the waiting list.
The standardised criteria requires that new applicants receive National Superannuation as their main source of income, have assets of less than $40,000, are able to live independently, have an identified housing need, and have lived in Auckland for one year or more in the last five years.
Auckland Council’s General Manager Arts, Community and Events, Graham Bodman, says until now the 1,412 rental units across the region have been operating using criteria determined by the five separate legacy councils which previously provided a Housing for Older Persons service.
That meant there were five different sets of eligibility criteria based on legacy councils’ policies, with no council-provided housing for older Aucklanders in the former Auckland City and Rodney areas.
Mr Bodman says changing the criteria will make the service more streamlined and mean those most in need will be able to access it.
“The differences in criteria across the region created significant challenges to applicants in understanding whether and where they might qualify for the service,” says Mr Bodman.
“Now we expect it to be a lot clearer, fairer, and more accessible,” he says.
