New policy for housing for the elderly, but same service

The way housing for the elderly is managed is being reviewed, but the service itself will remain.

At a policy meeting on Thursday New Plymouth district councillors voted to put a new housing for the elderly policy out for public feedback.

The council has about 140 community units throughout the district, which were last valued at $11.94 million.

The proposed changes within the policy include setting a strategic direction for the service, tweaks to the eligibility criteria, and implementing a previous decision to make the service self-funding.

The council's group manager of strategy Liam Hodgetts said the new policy would enable the council to be more strategic managers and do things such as consider housing designs that might better meet the changing needs of elderly people.

"We're staying in the business of providing social housing for elderly people – that isn't changing," he said.

Councillor Marie Pearce called for something to be done about the state of the housing for the elderly units in Inglewood.

"Those units are really not ideal," she said.

She said the Inglewood Community Board had been asking for the units to be upgraded for a very long time.

During the meeting some councillors said they could see a need for the council to become more involved in social housing and they believed there was a possibility people with mental health issues or disabilities could be considered for the scheme as well.

However, others said the council should only provide the service to old people, and not extend it to vulnerable people in general.

"This is a service that is going to be called on more and more," councillor Shaun Biesiek said.

"With the health system the way it is, I can see that eventually there is going to be pressure on this council to take some of these people who should be looked after by the health system.

"The situation that we don't want is having our elderly beside those who are not elderly."

Biesiek also suggested that if the scheme was to grow, that Marfell be considered as an area for housing for the elderly.

"There is some good land there to look at for some housing, if that would fit within the self funding model," he said.

Public submissions on the draft Housing for the Elderly Policy will open on Monday June 27.

More information about the draft policy and submissions forms are available at the Civic Centre, community libraries and online at newplymouthnz.com/HaveYourSay.

Submissions close on July 15.

(Source: TARANAKI Daily News)