Community housing providers are ready and waiting to work with the Government says Monte Cecilia Housing Trust’s former CEO Bernie Smith. Smith was talking on Tuesday with NewsTalkZB’s Mike Hosking. Locked out Smith told Hosking that community housing providers had previously been prevented from buying houses from developers. Instead, Kainga Ora sought out the developers Read more
The Auckland Diocese’s Monte Cecilia Housing Trust residents and staff were left feeling shaken after a gunshot was fired at their transitional housing complex on Wednesday night. Police are still looking for those responsible. Just before 10.30pm, a gunshot rang out on Ahuwhenua Crescent in Onehunga. The bullet left a fist-sized hole in someone’s garage Read more
An independent review into Kāinga Ora raises several concerns, says Catholic community housing provider Monte Cecilia. The review – which former Prime Minister Sir Bill English led – found the state housing agency has not been responsibly managing the billions of dollars it is allocated. It’s a very strong critique of Kāinga Ora, says Monte Read more
A recent partnership between Auckland Catholic housing trust, Monte Cecilia and local recycling service Junk2Go, is helping formerly homeless families set up house. The partnership is necessary if people are to move into more than an empty shell. Monte Cecilia explains that when families move into the new house the Trust provides, they often have Read more
It’s time to farewell Monte Cecilia’s outgoing CEO Bernie Smith. Smith told CathNew he is leaving on Wednesday. The Catholic housing trust has been flooded with messages since Smith announced his resignation last month. It’s clear he’ll be missed. Big time. Smith is modest about his involvement with the Trust. “Empowering the disempowered, housing the Read more
The Government’s $350m Affordable Housing Fund is getting a mixed response from housing providers. It says it will start accepting applications for the Fund from community housing providers this week. The Fund will provide grants of up to 50 percent of the costs for affordable rental property developments. Some housing providers are positive. They say Read more
In what he described as the organisation’s ‘worst kept secret,’ Monte Cecilia Housing Trust’s CEO Bernie Smith has handed in his resignation. Smith, who joined Monte Cecilia in 2016, will step down at the beginning of September this year. “Bernie has contributed significantly to the organisation,” says Monte Cecilia Board Chair Ken Brophy. His achievements Read more
A Government decision to cut funding for a rental scheme means Auckland’s Monte Cecilia Housing Trust is struggling to provide homes for families stuck in transitional housing. Last October the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) cut funding to organisations leasing existing private sector properties to help families out of temporary transitional housing. Under Read more
Monte Cecilia Housing Trust is one of 40 charities, community groups and unions that have joined together to implore the Government to change legislation to address the country’s gender and ethnic pay gaps. In an open letter to the Prime Minister and Minister for Child Poverty Reduction Jacinda Ardern, Associate Minister for Workplace Relations Priyanca Read more
Government plans to sell public and state house land to private developers risks making the outlook for tens of thousands of New Zealand families worse, says Monte Cecilia Housing Trust CEO Bernie Smith. It’s been dubbed the sale of the century: in Auckland, 230ha to 270ha of public or state land is quietly being sold Read more