New Chair for specialist older persons’ rental housing provider, Haumaru Housing, comes at a critical time

The Selwyn Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Adrienne Young-Cooper as Chair of Haumaru, its social housing for older people joint venture with Auckland Council. Haumaru is the largest community housing provider for older people in Aotearoa.

With an ageing population, New Zealand will see the number of older people renting a home more than double by 2048, with four out of ten over 65’s paying rent, according to the Retirement Commission. That’s 600,000 New Zealanders. And, already, many older people are spending up to 95% of their super on rent. Globally, the fastest rate of homelessness is among older people.

Access to affordable, safe, quality social housing for older people like that provided by Haumaru will become increasingly important for New Zealanders.

Ms Young-Cooper’s appointment is timely and she brings a wealth of experience to the table. Her current and past board roles span major infrastructure projects, housing and urban growth, and transport. As a former Chair of Housing New Zealand, Eke Panuku and Hobsonville Land Company Limited, Ms Young-Cooper has overseen significant housing, land and property investment for social purpose. She has also held directorships with Auckland City Council Property Enterprise Board, Waterfront Auckland Limited, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Auckland Transport and the Auckland Regional Transport Authority, and is currently Chair of Queenstown Airport Corporation.

Commenting on Ms Young-Cooper’s appointment, Selwyn Board Chair Hon David Cunliffe, says: “Our ageing population, combined with declining home ownership and rising elder poverty, brings massive social, economic and cultural challenges. Access to affordable housing for older people benefits everyone. It enables individuals and communities to thrive from people living, working, volunteering and engaging for longer.

With Adrienne Young-Cooper at the helm, Haumaru will step up further to address the growing demand and provide safe, secure and affordable rental housing for older Aucklanders within village environments that support tenants’ resilience and social connection. We are delighted with Adrienne’s appointment.”

Alastair Cameron, Auckland Council’s Manager, CCO Governance & External Partnerships, comments: “We’re delighted to welcome Adrienne as the new Chair of Haumaru. Her in-depth knowledge of the housing sector and her proven leadership capabilities will be invaluable as we continue to enhance the quality and sustainability of our housing services for seniors. Adrienne’s appointment ensures that Haumaru will remain at the forefront of providing exceptional tenancy and asset management for all those who are at home in a Haumaru village."

Ms Young-Cooper’s appointment is for a three-year term. She succeeds Dr Kay Hawk, a former Chair of The Selwyn Foundation, who has been in the role since 2019 and has made a significant contribution to the success of Haumaru. In her new position on the Haumaru Board, Ms Young-Cooper will join Selwyn Board members Stephen Titter and Dr Sue Watson and Auckland Council’s appointed directors Kerry Hitchcock and Jason Rogers.

Community housing provider Haumaru Housing was established as a limited partnership company between registered charity The Selwyn Foundation (51%) and Auckland Council in 2016. It provides tenancy and asset management services for the Council's stock of rental units for older people – currently 1,475 units across 62 villages in Auckland – and is the only specialist community housing provider of housing for seniors.