Mayoral candidate Vic Crone has market solution for social housing

Mayoral candidates Vic Crone and David Hay released housing policies today

Linking social housing developers to investors like philanthropists and pension funds will boost housing affordability in Auckland, says mayoral candidate Vic Crone.

The centre-right candidate today issued a housing policy that includes a plan for New Zealand's first social impact investment market(SIIM).

"The lack of affordable housing in Auckland is a serious issue and we need all the help we can get," she said.

The SIIM would link housing developers like the Housing Foundation with capital from the likes of philanthropists, foundations, fund managers, banks and pensions funds, she said.

Crone said a global survey showed a quarter of the $17 billion global SIIM is targeted at solving housing issues and saw the mayor and council playing a role in laying the foundations for this in Auckland.

The businesswoman also wants to establish a mayor's taskforce for housing to speed up the city's housing shortage.

The lack of affordable housing in Auckland is a serious issue and we need all the help we can get

Vic Crone

It will be led by the mayor and include one or two councillors along with representatives from Government and the private and not for profit sectors. The taskforce would oversee housing activity and provide "real visibility".

The taskforce will provide a stronger focus on addressing Auckland's rough sleeping issues.

Another mayoral candidate, David Hay, released his housing policy today, which promises emergency housing for the homeless and shaming the Government into providing a long-term solution.

He wants to stick with the Unitary Plan to provide a wider range of housing choices, speeding up the consenting process and create a New Zealand Standard for modular and prefabricated houses to speed up construction.

Hay also released his transport policy to build a rapid transit network supported by cycleways, walkways and light rail, and create transport corridors that support intensification in the Unitary Plan.