Activity Group: People Activity: Housing for Seniors Principles and Criteria How this Activity Contributes to the Vision and Related Council resources for the provision of housing assistance are limited, and therefore applications will be assessed according to the following principles and criteria: Community Outcomes This Activity helps to achieve the Vision by contributing to a caring community, and to 1. To prioritise clients according to prevailing demand. the Community Outcomes of Governance, People, Connectivity and Living as outlined Given the current and projected demographic profile of the District, most of the below. demand for affordable housing assistance is from older people. Priority will therefore be given to people over age 65. Demand for assistance will be Outcome Actions reassessed periodically. Governance Including a community representative on the Housing for Seniors 2. To focus assistance on those with low incomes. Sub-Committee. People Providing affordable housing for older adults within Council policy The threshold for access to Council housing will be reviewed periodically, and parameters. will be based on a combined assessment of household income and assets. Connectivity Providing a safe living environment for senior residents. 3. To provide for needs not met by other providers. Living Ensuring Council supplied housing meets the needs of future Access to Council housing is a last resort. Applicants must be able to residents. demonstrate that their housing needs cannot be met from alternative sources. Ensuring future tenants meet the Council’s criteria. 4. To match applicants with housing suited to their needs. With a limited portfolio, the type of housing that may be available at any time may not be suited to the specific needs of an applicant, due to household size, What is this Activity About? proximity to essential services, and location. Applicants may need to go on a The Council considers how to help people access housing which meets their needs. waiting list until suitable housing becomes available. The most effective way to do this is to provide an option for seniors to access Council- owned housing. Rents Rents are set at 80% of market rental value, and this is reviewed annually. Rents are Council will continue to implement the maintenance plans for the Council-owned also reviewed after major remodelling and for new builds. Council has agreed that Housing for Seniors units to ensure a minimum living standard. The age of these units, rentals set at 80% of the market value are appropriate and represent the norm for this and the difficulty in maintaining them, is a long term issue. type of accommodation. Council also has an advocacy and facilitation role. Council will continue to work closely Governance with other housing entities to attract more funding and housing options for the Marlborough community. The Housing Policy is administered by the Council’s Housing for Seniors Sub-Committee. Day to day administration of the portfolio, including assessing Housing Policy applications, will be carried out by the Council’s property managers, in accordance with this policy and with the provisions in the Housing Asset Management Plan. Council will own and maintain a stock of housing, for the purpose of assisting seniors to have access to housing they could not otherwise afford. Council aims to ensure that Major Budgeted Capital Projects Housing for Seniors is financially sustainable. The following table outlines the major budgeted projects and areas of expenditure proposed for this Activity over the next 10 years. Although these items are budgeted, in some cases further public consultation will be required with the relevant community before the project is implemented. These projects are also listed under the Capital Expenditure line of the Funding Impact Statement at the end of this Activity section. 2018-2028 Long Term Plan Page 38