Securing affordable home ownership for generations, an interview about the Secure Home programme

In this episode, I interview Sam Stout and David Diaper who are homeowners of the Secure Home programme in Queenstown, as well as Corina Sommerville who is a staff member with the programme. I really like this program is because keeps housing affordable for generations into the future.

Secure Home is an assisted ownership program created by the Queenstown Lakes, Community Housing Trust.  Designed as a stepping stone to independent home ownership, this program provides people the chance to purchase a quality and secure tenure home at an affordable price. The model works by separating the land from the improvements. So, a household only needs to purchase the house, whilst the trust owns the land. The programme was launched by QLCHT in 2019 and is now being offered by other community housing trusts around Aotearoa. (quote from Julie Scott)

Rather than being seen by programme homeowners as a loss (not being able to sell it at windfall profits on the open market), they see it as a legacy.  As David says in the interview, “It's quite reassuring. I find it quite satisfying to think that when we're at a point where we  want to move on somewhere else or not within the needs of the housing trust, that it will go on to be beneficial to another family that need it. That's, actually hugely satisfying to us--that it's always going to remain as an awesome asset for other families that struggle to access housing in this area.”

Photo details:

Family pictured is not Sam and David.  They are another family in the Secure Home programme, Kenny and Carrie Vaugh.  Photo courtesy of Run in the Shadows.  On the left, Corina Sommerville and on the right, Zola Rose

Other news & info:

Common Ground supports local government to enable democratic local decision-making and action by, and on behalf of, communities and to promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of communities (Local Government Act 2002) particularly as it relates to community-led housing, neighbourhoods, and human settlements.

See this webpage for more information: https://www.commonground.net.nz/councilsupport

The Cooperative Living network in Nelson-Tasman is holding workshops and networking events for those interested in the idea of some sort of cooperative living/intentional community arrangement.

I hold a Regenerative and Tiny Home Community Mastermind online for people who are leading such projects anywhere in the country, every two months.

For more details and to register for either/both projects, go to: https://www.commonground.net.nz/projects

There is a national Housing Survey to gather data on how people are currently living and the factors that affect those living arrangements as well as what people aspire to if they had more choice and support.  This survey is the first of its kind in Aotearoa to gather data on collective housing (co-housing, co-living, papakāinga, cooperative housing, ecovillage) as a housing choice.   We'll be hosting Greer to share all about it in the next month or two.

Find the survey here: https://www.nzhousingsurvey.co.nz/

Australia just launched its national Community Land Trust Network.

The main benefits a CLT can offer include: affordable and secure housing in perpetuity, ecological land stewardship and conservation, halt gentrification, affordable land for food production, and community empowerment and agency in housing and land use.

See the video of their launch which gives an overview of the model and how its already benefitting the missing middle in Australia:

https://youtu.be/51WhSIR73jY?si=E2jj1KFRLPtUwoAw