Rent rise for social housing

Rising rents for people in Timaru’s social housing units to cover maintenance and improvement costs could impact those already on a ‘‘tight’’ budget.

Rents for one-bedroom social housing units in Timaru will increase by $5 and bedsits by $2 per week in the next financial year, according to the Timaru District Council’s 2017-18 Annual Plan budget.

The annual increase affected 236 one-bedroom units and bedsets in the district.

Timaru Salvation Army corps officer Lieutenant Jacob Howan said the $5 per week increase would impact those already on a ‘‘tight’’ budget.

Council property manager Matt Ambler confirmed rent for social housing in Timaru was increasing and said any decision to increase was made by the council based on the costs of upgrades and maintenance.

‘‘Our social housing activities are self-funded from rental income and we work hard to ensure our accommodation is of a good standard.’’

All tenants were advised of any rental increases, he said.

Councillor Tracy Tierney said the social housing programme ensured any rental increase was modest. It built up the funds and tried to distribute them through a programme of regular maintenance and upgrade.

Tierney said the rates increase had to be affordable. Councillors had pushed for small incremental increases, rather than one substantial increase, so no one gets a ‘‘nasty’’ surprise.

Timaru Salvation Army corps officer Lieutenant Jacob Howan said for anyone in a social housing unit, their budget will be ‘‘pretty tight’’.

An increase in rent would mean another basic living expenses would be impacted, he said.

He appreciated the council’s social housing programme and its requirement to justify rent increases. He said he would prefer if any increases were in line with welfare increases.

‘‘We appreciate that, but we also appreciate if you’re kinda living, dollar to dollar each week, any kind of change ... can be quite an impact.’’

If a person had planned to budget a certain amount for groceries, that would have to come down by five dollars, Howan said.

How much five dollars meant to one person would vary on their situation. He hoped it would not impact people’s ability to buy staple food items, such as bread and milk.

He was glad the council provided housing, and the programme was carried out in such a way to be able to continually improve and upgrade them.

Howan said in his experience, once the housing was ‘‘sorted, it does get a lot of other things sorted’’. ‘‘If the housing is an issue, it can affect everything else.’’

Timaru Budget Advisory Trust co-ordinator Don Macfarlane said he was not aware of any clients who lived in a council-owned social housing unit, but any increase would be a ‘‘squeeze’’ on costs.

‘‘Any increase in basic living costs is a pain in the neck.’’

However, he praised Timaru’s social housing provisions and said it was wonderful councils provided them. Macfarlane said Timaru’s provision for social housing was ‘‘far more generous’’ in regards to the quality of housing, when compared with similar-sized districts.

Mayor Damon Odey said the maintenance programme also included putting heat pumps in and better insultation, with older units getting new showers.

The programme was detailed with a long-term upgrade programme.