Waikato Housing Strategy

Waikato District

Client:

Waikato District Council

Location:

Waikato District

Completed:

February 2024

Project Services:

Strategic Advisory
Property Advisory

Project overview

In response to growing concerns over housing stress and affordability within the district, the Waikato District Council embarked on an ambitious initiative to develop a comprehensive Waikato Housing Strategy. Recognising the urgent need for a proactive approach, the council appointed Veros in partnership with Essentia to spearhead this crucial project. The strategy aimed to meticulously identify the housing challenges within the district and craft a robust plan to tackle these issues head-on.

Our objectives included:

Comprehensive Analysis – Understand the unique housing landscape of the Waikato District.

Addressing Challenges: Identify and mitigate housing stress points and affordability issues.

Collaborative Strategy: Develop a collaborative approach with stakeholders to address housing challenges.

Partnership Approach: Foster partnerships for both immediate interventions and long-term commitments.

Actionable Plan: Implement an action plan focused on enhancing housing choice, affordability, and tackling infrastructure hurdles.

Veros, alongside Essentia, employed a multi-dimensional strategy to navigate the district’s complex housing challenges. The approach encompassed:

Extensive Research: Detailed analysis of housing trends, demographic shifts, and economic impacts.
Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborative engagements with government bodies, community organizations, developers, and residents to gather a wide range of insights.
Workshops and Forums: Organizing collaborative workshops to brainstorm and share solutions.
Strategic Framework Development: Crafting a strategic framework with actionable short-term and long-term plans.
Solution Exploration: Identifying sustainable practices to enhance housing choice and affordability.
Ongoing Evaluation: Establishing mechanisms for monitoring and adapting the strategy to ensure its long-term success.

Project outcomes

The Waikato Housing Strategy culminated in significant achievements:

Comprehensive Strategy Document: A detailed strategy outlining clear actions and commitments to address housing issues.
Enhanced Collaboration: Stronger partnerships among all stakeholders, uniting efforts to address housing challenges.
Immediate Interventions: Implementation of short-term measures to alleviate housing stress.
Sustainable Commitments: Establishment of long-term initiatives aimed at sustainable housing development and affordability.
Improved Housing Accessibility: Better housing choices and accessibility for the district’s residents.
Infrastructure Support: Strengthened infrastructure capabilities to facilitate sustainable housing growth.

The Waikato Housing Strategy marks a critical milestone in addressing the district’s housing challenges. Through strategic collaboration and dedicated efforts, the initiative seeks to provide meaningful solutions to housing affordability and stress, ensuring a prosperous and inclusive future for the Waikato District.