Despite the challenges of this year’s COVID-19 pandemic, Community Housing Provider, Haumaru Housing – our joint venture with Auckland Council – continued to go from strength-to-strength and celebrated several successful milestones in its work to provide affordable rental housing for older people in need of a long-term, secure rental tenancy.
Haumaru Housing marked its third anniversary on 1 July 2020 with the news that tenants’ total satisfaction with its services had risen significantly over the previous 12 months – up from 72% to an impressive 91% (aggregated score). In its annual survey, which was conducted over the COVID lockdown period, major increases in tenants’ satisfaction levels were recorded across all areas of Haumaru’s service delivery, including its maintenance of the housing units (which rose to 96%) and of the village grounds (90%). Tenants’ satisfaction with their level of connection and involvement went up to 93%, as did their rating of the service provided by Haumaru staff, whilst 92% of villagers felt safe in their homes. All in all, the overall satisfaction rate jumped to 95% (up from 68% in 2019), a resounding endorsement of the quality standards that are a hallmark of the Haumaru approach.
Another highlight of the last year was the full occupation in January of Haumaru’s new four-storey building in Henderson, which opened just before Christmas 2019. Offering warm, dry homes in a new style of housing for seniors, the Wilsher Village complex comprises a total of forty one-bedroom, self-contained apartments. All units were let within six weeks, an indication of the considerable demand for affordable social housing that exists amongst older people. The new development brings the number of villages that Haumaru manages across North, South and West Auckland to 63, encompassing a total of 1,452 units.