The Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust is experiencing explosive growth in demand for its services in a sure sign the rental crisis is tightening its grip on the Whakatipu.
Housing trust boss Julie Scott says she receives 100 online registrations a month from people needing help getting into accommodation — she used to get that over the course of a year.
‘‘We had over 200 registrations via our website for the months of May and June alone.
‘‘That paints a very clear picture of the situation and the crises a lot of people are experiencing.’’
Scott is part of a delegation of Queenstown housing advocates, plus mayor Glyn Lewers, making oral submissions on the need to change accommodation supplement zoning at a parliamentary hearing today.
‘‘It’s … nonsense that [people in] … entry-level subdivisions, where there’s a lot of low to moderate income households, don’t qualify for the accommodation supplement or are on the very bottom rung in terms of the supplement.’’
Scott has lots of anecdotal evidence that demonstrates how hopelessly out of date the 1992 zoning is to determine levels of rental assistance needed today.
‘‘One lady moved from Goldfield Heights [in Queenstown] to Lake Hayes Estate and the supplement was halved.
‘‘Another one moved from Queenstown to Lower Shotover and the accommodation supplement was significantly reduced.
‘‘Lower Shotover is zoned rural, but it’s clearly not rural.
‘‘It feels pretty unfair and inconsistent.’’
Scott praises the council for continuing to drive the push for central government to update the supplement to better reflect growth and enable people to re ceive assistance.
‘‘QLDC have been advocates for this change for a number of years under the previous mayoralty and it’s great that it’s being kept alive by the current mayor.’’
