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QUEENSTOWN MAYOR WANTS IMMEDIATE HOUSING SOLUTIONS

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March, 2023

Queenstown mayor Glyn Lewers has spent the majority of this
week in talks with council officers, and others, to try and find
immediate solutions to the resorts acute rental housing crisis.
While not present at Monday nights housing protest, organised by
locals Hannah Sullivan and Lindsay Waterfield attended by
about 100 people, most of whom had either no home at all, or no
permanent housing Lewers (above) says he wasnt thumbing his
nose at the protesters, or ignoring the issue.
He tells Mountain Scene he was invited to attend on Sunday
afternoon, by which time hed locked in some much-needed time
with his children.
I know its a bit tough, but there are some things I have to
[prioritise] and recharge my batteries.
However, he wants it known hes fully aware of the issue, and
Monday nights protest drove home the urgency of the need to
find fast solutions.
Ive been working away in the last two days to figure something
out in the immediate.
Last week, Environment Minister David Parker approved a
streamlined planning process for Te Pktahi Ladies Mile, expected
to be gazetted today, meaning council can progress a proposed
zoning change for the 120 hectares to enable development of
about 2400 houses.
Among other work councils doing, its working with the
Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust to build more
properties, but, Lewers says, theyre medium- to long-term
solutions.
Weve got this immediate need here & were trying to see if we
can find immediate solutions.
Weve all got a part to play.
Lewers was having further meetings yesterday on what that may
look like, and hopes to be in a position to comment more within
the next week.
He says it could well involve tiny homes.
Meantime, councils looking to re-establish a similar response for
those in the greatest need as it did through Covid.
At that time, a council-led emergency operations centre was
established, where multi-agency staff responded to the
communitys welfare needs.
Lewers says thats usually Ministry of Social Developments (MSD)
job, but theyve got such a small, or negligible footprint in
Queenstown, it is usually council that has to pick that up.
Theres no emergency housing in Queenstown-Lakes and, he says,
according to the government we have zero need for it.
Thats because no one has registered with Kinga Ora or MSD as
needing help.
Council has a problem trying to communicate these issues
because, at the moment, the reporting says theres no need.
However, MSD Southern Regional commissioner Step Voight says
there is emergency housing available in Queenstown, and
emergency housing special needs grants are paid to those who
meet eligibility requirements, and are subject to an income and
asset test.
Queenstown is a popular tourist destination and, as a result,
housing affordability and supply is strained.
There is a major programme of work underway across
government, aimed at increasing the supply of public housing and
improving housing affordability and supply, Voight says.

Source: Mountain Scene