Council backs community housing as senior demand rises
A social housing project described as “like flatting for older people” is a step closer in North Canterbury, with the Waimakariri District Council agreeing to support an Abbeyfield house in Rangiora.
The initiative comes amid a broader backdrop of improving housing affordability. Massey University’s latest Home Affordability Report showed an 8.7% national improvement in the June quarter, driven by lower mortgage rates and modest house price easing.
Council backs Abbeyfield housing project
Valda Reveley, Abbeyfield Waimakariri Incorporated chairperson, told councillors the initiative would provide supported housing for single older people with limited means.
“It’s like flatting for older people,” Reveley told RNZ.
She said granting the lease will allow the organisation to raise the funds needed to build the house.
“It will be a one-storey house and from the road it will look like the surrounding houses – only bigger,” Reveley said. “We call it a house, but it will be a home for those who don’t have many options.”
The Abbeyfield model includes a large home with 12 to 14 studio units, shared living and dining rooms, a laundry, and gardens. A housekeeper and cook will be employed, while volunteers help run the home.
Long-term lease supports community housing
Under the agreement, the council will provide a 33-year lease on a site in Kingsbury Avenue, Rangiora, enabling Abbeyfield to proceed with the build.
Deputy Mayor Neville Atkinson, the council’s housing portfolio holder, called the step “a huge step forward.”
“We have been told about the needs of social housing many times and we have a role to play in looking after those in need in our community and by enabling people to look after social housing,” Atkinson told RNZ.
Atkinson said he and Mayor Dan Gordon visited an Abbeyfield house in Hornby, Christchurch, and were impressed with its design and community feel.
“Why wouldn’t we be looking after people in our community at a time in their life when they most need it? Not everyone can afford to go to a Ryman or another model,” Gordon said.
Partnership model keeps costs off ratepayers
Councillor Niki Mealings said the council already provides older persons’ housing and that partnering with Abbeyfield allows it to expand services “with no additional cost to ratepayers.”
Cr Tim Fulton said the partnership is an example of the council enabling community groups to do “what they do best.”
The council has worked with the community for four years to bring an Abbeyfield house to the district as part of efforts to tackle the local housing shortage.
Implications for mortgage advisers and senior housing trend
While Abbeyfield houses are typically not purchased with traditional mortgages – since they are social housing for those of limited means – this initiative highlights the growing demand for alternative senior living solutions.
Mortgage advisers should be aware of such developments, as they can influence local housing trends, downsizing activity, and the types of advice clients seek on retirement living and housing affordability.
The Waimakariri District Council has entered into a 33-year lease with Abbeyfield Waimakariri Incorporated for a site in Kingsbury Avenue, Rangiora, marking a new chapter in community-driven senior housing.
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