Councils and Community Organisations
Housing Innovation Fund for community groups - overview
The Housing Innovation Fund provides housing loans and support for community groups, organisations, Māori and iwi. It aims to encourage more community-based rental housing and home ownership opportunities for people on low incomes or with special housing needs.
Eligibility:
Applicants need to show how their project would meet an identified housing need, such as:
- households whose housing needs are not fully met by Housing New Zealand or the private market, such as iwi and Māori, Pacific peoples, older people and those with disabilities
- low or moderate-income households whose housing needs are not met in the private market but for whom no suitable alternative exists.
How the Housing Innovation Fund works:
Housing New Zealand administers the Fund, which includes low interest loans and conditional grants. These are for community-based organisations to buy, build or modify rental accommodation or to develop affordable home ownership opportunities. There are also grants to support development of community-based organisations and their projects. These meet some of the costs groups face when developing new proposals, such as accessing specialist advice.
What we expect of groups that get funding:
Groups that get funding are expected to:
- meet at least 15 percent of the total project costs from their own resources
- have an allocation process that targets low income and/or special needs groups
- have policies and processes so properties are well-maintained and managed
- keep their rental housing/investment in the social housing pool for the long term
- have evidence of community support.
How to apply:
You apply for funding by sending in a written proposal.
