A proposal to help improve housing affordability in the district will go before councillors at today’s (Thursday August 11) council meeting. 

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) councillors will decide whether or not to sign off on an ‘Inclusionary Zoning’ plan change which would require developers to make a contribution of either land or money towards affordable housing. 

QLDC senior policy planner Amy Bowbyes says the proposed plan change will address housing affordability by providing an income stream to fund the construction of homes which are then funnelled to people on low-medium incomes.  

In the Queenstown Lakes district the average home price is 13.9 times the average household income. This compares to an income-to-house-price ratio of 8.81 nationally.

“Housing affordability is a significant issue in the Queenstown Lakes District due principally to the district’s high median house prices, coupled with average household incomes,” Amy said. 

The plan change, if approved, would expand the work being done by the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT) to support low-to-middle income earners into long-term homes.

Since 2007 the QLCHT has been building homes and offering below market rate rent, lease and ownership options to residents under certain income caps through previous Special Housing Area regulations, which required some developers to gift a portion of their land. 

See also: ‘International accolade for QLCHT programme’

The plan change being considered today would extend the developer contribution requirement (and expand it to include a possible financial component) to capture a wider range of residential developments. 

“It will assist with providing an income stream with which the council can continue developing retained affordable housing through its relationship with the trust,” Amy said.

Also on today’s council meeting agenda are the proposed transfer of Mt Iron Scenic reserve from the Department of Conservation to QLDC; the approval of QLDC’s submission to the Environment Select Committee on emissions reductions; and a number of public excluded items, which include a salary review for QLDC chief executive Mike Theelen.

The full council meeting will take place today (Thursday August 11) at 1pm via Zoom.

PHOTO: Supplied