Members of the community are invited to weigh in on Queenstown Lakes District Council’s (QLDC) proposal to transfer the nine elderly housing units it manages to the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT). 

The council is proposing a transfer of its five Wānaka units and four Arrowtown units for one dollar, QLDC property director Quintin Howard said.

QLCHT is a non-profit with a range of housing programmes for low-to-middle income earners in Queenstown Lakes, including a senior housing programme.

“If adopted, this would enable tenants access to additional resources, and for their homes to be managed by a specialist community housing provider,” Quintin said.

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QLCHT chief executive Julie Scott said the community housing provider specialises in housing the “more vulnerable members of our community”.

“We have the expertise to manage these units while also providing wraparound support services to ensure tenants can maintain their own physical and emotional wellbeing needs.”

The trust purchased land adjacent to the Wānaka units in 2022 and the transfer would allow QLCHT to build at least 12 units across both sites, Julie said.

If the transfer goes ahead, it would represent “a big win for our local seniors by providing greater capacity and security as our local population grows and ages,” she said.

Quntin said while the idea to transfer the units is “quite simple”, it must follow a specific process to remove the houses from QLDC”s schedule of assets.

“So once consultation has closed and we’ve collated all submissions, there’ll be an opportunity for submitters to speak to a hearings panel which will then make its recommendation back to council,” he said.

The consultation period begins on Thursday June 27 and ends on Sunday July 28. 

Full details of the proposals and how to make a submission can be found on QLDC’s online engagement portal Let’s Talk once consultation opens.

Printed information will also be available, and submissions able to be made in written form, at QLDC libraries and offices.

PHOTO: Wānaka App