Social Housing 101: A Comprehensive Resource for Navigating the Social Housing Landscape
In the realm of housing, New Zealand has grappled with an escalating crisis over the past year and housing has emerged as an undeniable and pressing concern. From the distressing predicament of homelessness to the struggles faced by individuals searching on the private market, The Loft has witnessed the breadth and depth of the housing challenges people are facing.
In the fiscal 22-year, housing ranked as the fifth most prevalent issue encountered by our Kaitūhono Hapori who have spent hours advocating for and assisting a staggering 206 individuals grappling with housing-related hardships. As we find ourselves halfway through the 23 fiscal year, the gravity of the situation has become even more apparent with housing ascending to become our second most commonly presenting issue with a staggering 188 people having sought our assistance in navigating the complexities of housing. It feels as though, with each passing day, the number of individuals requiring help with this critical matter grows exponentially, highlighting the need for urgent and effective solutions.
While The Loft cannot house someone, we have become familiar with the social housing landscape and how to effectively navigate the various pathways to someone finding suitable housing. We also have the privilege of being partners with social housing provider, LinkPeople, who we work closely alongside, making referrals for their services and accessing the vast encyclopedia of knowledge their staff contain on the social housing environment. Due to the need being so great in this area, with a multitude of social services supporting people through the social housing landscape, we decided it timely to offer a Social Housing 101 presentation supported by LinkPeople who presented on the service they offer, who qualifies, and how to navigate the social housing register.
The invitation to the event was extended to professionals working in the social service environment and was well attended by people working in the NGO sector through to government departments and social housing providers. The wealth of knowledge in the room meant participants engaged in an interactive session, fleshing out information with extra detail on certain scenarios, what their services can offer, what is available in the housing sector and news on upcoming developments and resources. Particpants also got to ask specific questions on whaiora they are supporting and received immediate guidance on the best pathway to help them. This event also provided an welcoming environment to connect and network, meeting people who could collaborate on helping each other for the good of their whaiora.
As we didn’t want this invaluable information to never leave the confines of our space, we put together a resource for professionals to use in their mahi to guide whaiora through the social housing landscape effectively. We are excited to offer this resource to everyone, which you can download here. You will find a complete recap of the questions and discussions had in the room to complement the presentation slides generously provided by LinkPeople. Alongside this, The Loft has created a Housing Concerns & Supports guide with information on various housing scenarios with information on how Loft kaimahi navigate housing support pathways for our whaiora. We have also included a Social Housing at a Glance chart that shows you visually what supports various social housing providers offer and who they are for.
We understand that knowledge is power and hope that this will be a valuable resource for social service professionals working in this space. We encourage you to share this with your colleagues so that they can be empowered to make a difference in the lives of those they guide.
