Despite recently deciding not to donate land to an affordable housing project, the Central Otago District Council has requested staff continue to research ways to address the issue.

The council has subdivision developments currently underway in Alexandra and Cromwell. 

The final stage of the Gair Avenue project in Cromwell is tagged for apartments and other more affordable housing types to be developed, as well as some stand-alone houses.

If council missed the opportunity to ensure that young families were first in line for the more affordable options, mayor Tim Cadogan said at a meeting on Wednesday, they would have failed the community.  

Tim addressed the meeting via a livestream link due to having tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday morning (Wednesday August 24).

A recent survey had shown around three-quarters of respondents felt council did have a role to play in housing.

Tim believed simple criteria could be established that prevented buyers (such as “boomers” looking for holiday homes) from displacing families and workers wanting to settle in the area.

“It would be unforgivable in my view, given the steer we’ve got from our community, to do anything other than have a consideration of how we make sure that if we build affordable housing, it gets sold to the right people.”

He believed some manipulation of the market was needed but not all agreed it was possible.

“I think the market is the market and there can be unintended consequences of trying to manipulate it,” Cr Nigel McKinley said.

He believed the mixed housing already planned for Gair Avenue would provide options for buyers and the project needed to get to market as soon as possible.

Others also expressed concern over limitations in affordable options for elderly people across the district wishing to down-size and stay in the area.

It was agreed that council-led developments should consider including provision for different housing types, and the full picture of housing in the district be assessed with a view to finding parties council could work with to achieve its goals.

Through the planning process, developers could also be encouraged to consider different types of housing, which could be financially rewarding as well as attractive to desired types of buyers.

Following the lengthy discussion on affordable housing an additional agreement was reached that staff research ways of creating preferential purchase options for developments on council land.