There are currently 774 families on the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust’s waiting list looking for a place to call home.

This growing waiting list highlights the importance of a new Queenstown Lakes Homes Strategy, which was adopted by councillors last week, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) planning and strategy committee chair Penny Clark said 

The intent of the strategy is to identify challenges and set outcomes, goals and actions to address housing affordability in the hope it will improve the housing system for residents in the district.

“Housing has been a massive challenge for decades and while we acknowledge that we have a long way to go in this space, the Homes Strategy identifies what we need to achieve in the future to ensure more housing created in our district remains affordable for those that need it – the hard-working locals we all rely on,” Penny said.

Public submissions on the strategy were received in August and September, and 62 percent of respondents supported the strategy, with another 82 percent either supporting or strongly supporting increases to affordable housing options.

A further 60 percent of respondents supported the draft action plan.

In addition, the QLDC consulted on planning for affordable housing measures as a key action of the draft Homes Strategy, and referred to ‘inclusionary zoning’ - a new planning method which would require qualifying developments to provide for some affordable housing for low and moderate  income households. 

QLDC planning and development general manager Tony Avery said while initial general public support had been shown for affordable housing provisions, feedback on inclusionary zoning as a regulatory method in QLDC’s Proposed District Plan (PDP) would need to be carefully worked through, and would be considered in the early stages of 2022.

Adequate and affordable housing is a problem throughout New Zealand, but the Queenstown Lakes region is particularly affected by housing challenges, QLDC mayor Jim Boult said.

"Housing is a fundamental aspect of individual, household and community well-being, and the Homes Strategy provides QLDC with a specific scope for housing work, and sets out council's role in influencing change in the housing system through advocacy, partnership and local action,” he said.

Read the Homes Strategy here.

PHOTO: Wānaka App