Housing New Zealand Corporation

Introduction

 

Housing New Zealand Corporation (HNZC) plays a significant role within the housing sector. We are New Zealand ’s largest landlord, managing a rental housing portfolio of about 66,000 homes. We provide research and policy advice to inform Government housing policy, support the building of third sector capability to expand the provision of social housing and assist people into home ownership.

Access to quality housing contributes to the social and physical health of individuals and communities. HNZC research in preparation for the New Zealand Housing Strategy, found there was not enough choice in accessible housing for people with mobility and sensory difficulties. Disabled households also often have lower than average incomes and therefore face housing affordability issues.

Mobility and agility disability issues also have an impact on the housing needs of older people. Disability rates increase with age and the proportion of the New Zealand population aged 65 plus is projected to increase considerably in the next decade and onward. Consequently the number of people with disabilities will increase. This will create greater demand for modified or “accessible” housing.

HNZC is addressing these issues through a broad range of products, services and new initiatives. The majority of these services such as our Suitable Homes and Case Management Services are considered ‘business as usual’ and are an ongoing part of what we do. This plan outlines the new activities HNZC will undertake this year in addition to business as usual to help improve access for disabled people to housing that is appropriate to their needs.

Level 1 Activities: Universal responsiveness to disability issues

 

Accessible government information		Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
Agency’s websites
	Meet e-government Web-Guidelines 2.1	Work in progress	Full compliance will be achieved this year
	Tested for accessibility for disabled people	Work in progress	Yes
	Adapted to increase accessibility to disabled people	Work in progress	Yes
	Downloadable files available in HTML, not only PDF	Work in progress	Yes
Other publications and public information available in alternative formats. (eg key information available in easy-to-read English, Braille, NZSL video clips, captions on TV adverts, etc)		Yes	Further internet access enhancements planned
Agency makes available alternative forms of contact (ie phone and fax numbers, email addresses, etc)		Yes

Accessible government buildings and sites		Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
All agency’s buildings and sites meet statutory and regulatory access requirements (eg NZS 4121)		Yes
Agency’s buildings and sites have Building Code compliance certification		Yes
Agency’s buildings and sites audited for accessibility by Barrier Free NZ Trust		No	No
Agency’s buildings and sites accessible.
	Frontline staff receive training in disability responsiveness	Staff providing specific services to disabled people receive role-specific training	Staff providing specific services to disabled people receive role-specific training
	Reception areas accessible	Yes
	Counters lowered for wheelchair users	No	No, however reception areas are accessible and staff are trained to engage with disabled customers away from reception desk as appropriate
	Telephone staff familiar with using NZ Relay service1	Yes
	Other accommodations (please list) (eg signage, accessible lifts, hearing loops, etc)	Wheelchair accessible interview rooms and interview room tables. All frontline offices are at ground level.	Access improvements are made whenever frontline offices are refurbished including self-opening doors.

Accessible government services	Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
Service policies and procedures include reference to disability issues (eg policies on the use of New Zealand Sign Language Interpreters)	HNZC policies and procedures are designed to remove barriers for all people requiring access to our services. Disability issues are referred to where services are specific to meeting the needs of disabled people, e.g.: suitable homes service modifications, communications guidelines, etc
Information/data on services provided to disabled people is recorded	Information related to specific services to disabled people is recorded, e.g.: suitable homes modifications, Community Group Housing services and Housing Innovation Fund support to disability service providers, etc
Service staff receive disability responsiveness training	Staff providing specific services to disabled people receive role-specific training
When contracting for new or up-graded IT applications and environments, contracts include a requirement to ensure accessibility by disabled users	Yes

Responsive government employment practices		Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
Human Resource policies and procedures include EEO issues for disabled people		HNZC does not have EEO Disability Plans. However HNZC HR procedures and policies are designed to ensure there are no inequalities or barriers affecting recruitment, retention and career development of staff with disabilities. HNZC also prepares a plan for the implementation of the NZ Disability Strategy and reports against this annually.
Recruitment and selection of vacancies responsive to disabled people (eg vacancies advertised to the widest possible audience, vacancies list alternative forms of contact – phone, fax, email, etc)		Yes
Human Resource staff familiar with EEO issues for disabled people		Yes
Disabled staff are supported
	Individual assessments of workplace accommodations or support are provided (eg work station assessments)	Yes
	Accommodations provided to disabled staff (eg work station adaptations, special equipment, New Zealand Sign Language interpreters, etc are provided)	Yes
	Disabled staff provided with opportunities for career advancement	Yes
	Agency supports a disabled staff network group	Yes
	Internal agency newsletters promote the positive presence of disabled staff people	Internal newsletters promote the positive contribution of all staff irrespective of whether they identify as having a disability
	Other support provided to disabled staff	EAP support available for all staff

Information and data on disabled people is collected		Achieved / available	Planned this year	N/A
Information on agency’s responsiveness to disabled staff
	Number of disabled people employed	No data currently collected on staff who identify as having a disability
	Data on disability related accommodations, adaptive equipment, etc, provided by your agency	Adaptive equipment provided as appropriate
	Number of disabled people employed under the State Service Commission’s ‘Mainstream programme’2.	Four currently employed
Information on agency’s responsiveness to the disabled public
	Information and data on agency’s contact with the disabled public is recorded (eg consultation with disabled groups)	Information related to specific services to the disabled public is recorded, e.g.: suitable homes modifications, Community Group Housing services and Housing Innovation Fund support to disability service providers, etc
	Information/data on agency’s disabled client group recorded	Information on disabled clients is recorded, e.g.: specific disability detail on clients requiring housing modifications, Community Group Housing services and Housing Innovation Fund support to disability service providers, etc

Level 2 Activities: Disability perspective included in ordinay work

 

Disability responsiveness training and resources	Planned this year	N/A
Disability responsiveness training offered to all staff (Where training is provided your end of year report should indicate who gave the training, when it was given, and how many staff and what kind of staff attended)	No. However all staff receive instruction on the HNZC ‘Customer Philosophy’ and all operational staff receive training on ‘Connecting with Customers and Communities.’ Both of these internal programmes encourage staff to recognise and respond to the diverse range of our customers needs, including those of disabled people
Promotion of the Disability Perspective Tool Kit3 within your agency	Disability Perspective Tool Kit resource to be distributed amongst policy and strategic staff. Also to explore the provision of advice on the use of the kit as required.

Disability perspective included in ordinary work		Planned this year	N/A
Key documents to incorporate a disability perspective (In your end of year report you will be asked to indicate key papers or examples of where a disability perspective was included in your agency’s ordinary work)
	Cabinet papers	Where specific to disabled people
	Policy and procedure papers	Where specific to disabled people, e.g.: development of diverse needs work streams
	Strategic documents (eg Statement of Intent, Managing for Outcomes and key strategies)	Incorporated where appropriate, e.g.: regional initiatives specific to disabled people
	Legislation	As appropriate
	Consultation with disabled people/groups	Where activities or work streams are specific to disabled people

Implementing the NZ Disability Strategy beyond your agency	Planned this year	N/A
Agencies, Crown Entities, boards, reference groups, etc, that your agency is responsible for are encouraged to consider disabled people and disability issues (eg staff / membership supports the inclusion of disabled people, compliance with level 1 activities is encouraged, your agency’s purchase agreements require compliance with the Disability Strategy, and where appropriate requires the provision of any data/information on disability issues/disabled clients)	Ongoing

Level 3 Activities: key Disability focused work your agency is leading

1. The New Zealand Housing Strategy (NZHS)

Description

Building the Future: The New Zealand Housing Strategy outlines a range of proposed actions for further consideration to address the housing issues of diverse groups, including the disabled.

Access to affordable and suitable housing is a key issue for many disabled people. The disabled are more likely to have low incomes and affordability issues can limit the housing options open to them. They may also have health, support and social needs that are not necessarily well met by the market.

The NZHS sets out a programme of action to guide the direction of the entire housing sector over the next ten years and is aligned with social, economic and environmental sector strategies (including the New Zealand Disability Strategy), and key government goals. Within its areas of competency, the Corporation will continue to give effect to the Government’s 2006/07 priority initiatives for addressing the needs of the disabled.

Desired Outcome

• A strategic approach to address unmet housing need among disadvantaged and/or disabled groups
• A reduction in the incidence of poor quality housing, especially in relation to disabled Māori and Pacific Peoples.

Outcome Measures and Timeframes

During 2006/07 HNZC will:

• progress (with the Department of Building and Housing and the Ministry of Health) a proposed housing work programme to meet the needs of disabled people and those with mental illness, consistent with the NZ Disability Strategy, and Te Tahuhu – Improving Mental Health 2005-2015 The Second New Zealand Mental Health and Addiction Plan.
• progress (with the Department of Building and Housing and the Office for Senior Citizens) a housing work programme to meet the needs of older people, consistent with the Positive Ageing Strategy.

Linkage to the New Zealand Disability Strategy

Objective	Action
Encourage and educate for a non-disabling society	1.5.
Foster leadership by disabled people	5.1.
Foster an aware and responsive public service	6.1.
Support quality living in the community for disabled people	8.1.
Promote participation of disabled Māori	11.1.
Promote participation of disabled Pacific Peoples	12.1.
Enable disabled children and youth to lead full and active lives	13.2., 13.4., 13.10
Promote participation of disabled women in order to improve their quality of life	14.5.

2. Housing Services

Description

HNZC allocates state rentals according to housing need and provides an income-related rent for most tenants. The Social Allocation and Income-Related Rent (IRR) policies represent our primary interventions to assist disabled people in housing need.

HNZC will also continue to update regional profiles that build a detailed picture of housing need, including those of disabled people, within communities. The information gained will be fundamental to informing and guiding our future housing responses and service delivery.

Desired Outcome

• Further contributions to the provision of adequate, affordable, suitable, and sustainable housing for disabled people in housing need,
• Ensuring the accessibility and suitability of HNZC premises for disabled people.

Outcome Measures and Timeframes

During 2006/07 HNZC will:

• increase its housing stock by 815 homes during 2006/07 to help meet the demand for affordable social housing, particularly in Auckland
• update regional profiles that continue to build a detailed picture of housing need, including those of disabled people, within communities

Linkage to the New Zealand Disability Strategy

Objective	Action
Support quality living in the community for disabled people	8.1, 8.3.
Foster an aware and responsive public service	6.6.
Enable disabled children and youth to lead full and active lives	13.8.
Promote participation of disabled women in order to improve their quality of life	14.3.

3. Housing Innovations

Description

HNZC works in partnership with a wide range of groups (iwi, Māori, Pacific Peoples, NGOs, and private sector groups including the disability sector) and others to deliver a greater range of housing options appropriate to the needs of disadvantaged and/or disabled persons. Housing Innovations work streams include the provision of housing solutions to service providers and community lending to community based organisations who provide social housing. Some of these service providers and community based organisations provide residential services targeted for disabled customer groups.

Desired Outcome

• The development of sustainable partnerships with relevant service providers.
• Adequate and suitable housing that meets the housing needs of HNZC tenants assisted by the Community Group Housing (CGH) service and providers.

Outcome Measures and Timeframes

During 2006/07 HNZC will:

• provide $14.65m in Housing Innovation Fund support to third sector development through capacity building and demonstration housing projects throughout 2006/07
• further increase Community Group Housing stock by 40 homes this year
• continue to implement the Housing Rent Support Scheme to work with CGH customers and their service funders to identify and address affordability issues. This includes building relationships with funding organisations to better co-ordinate and respond to demand for housing

Linkage to the New Zealand Disability Strategy

Objective	Action
Ensure rights for disabled people	2.6.
Foster an aware and responsive public service	6.7.
Support quality living in the community for disabled people	8.1 and 8.4.
Create long-term support systems centred on the individual	7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8 and 7.9.
Enable disabled children and youth to lead full and active lives	13.8.
Promote participation of disabled women in order to improve their quality of life	14.3.

4. Research

Description

HNZC has a Research and Evaluation business unit focusing on the research needs of the Corporation and the independent Centre for Housing Research, Aotearoa New Zealand (CHRANZ) that focuses on the information needs of the wider housing sector.

On 6 May 2005 CHRANZ released its scoping research Housing Choices for Disabled New Zealanders. The aim of this project was to identify a set of housing research projects that address the key issues identified as impacting on housing choices for disabled New Zealanders.

Desired Outcomes

• Research that is targeted at priority policy initiatives and where appropriate responds to the needs of disabled people.

Outcome Measures and Timeframes

During 2006/07 HNZC will:

• invest in research that investigates accessible housing for the future ageing and disabled population in New Zealand . The objective of the research project undertaken by the Centre for Housing Research, Aotearoa New Zealand (CHRANZ) will be to analyse the current and future supply of, and demand for, accessible housing for New Zealanders with a moderate to severe physical disability. The research will begin in May 2006 and be completed in  February 2007.
• undertake any research into the needs of disabled people that may arise from The New Zealand Housing Strategy

Linkage to the New Zealand Disability Strategy

Objective	Action
Collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues	10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5 and 10.6.