January 2018 - 2018 is Dwell’s year

Each year our team creates a theme for our year’s work. This year it’s “2018 is Dwell’s year”. While every year at Dwell is significant, right now we are very aware that our mission to provide affordable quality homes where people flourish is more important than ever. Housing, specifically the lack of affordable housing, is currently one of the most talked-about issues in New Zealand.

We are heartbroken by how the housing crisis is affecting people. People of all ages, especially our children and young people. Not having access to safe, warm and dry affordable homes affects health, wellbeing, education, and long-term life outcomes.

These poor outcomes for people affect not just individuals and families but us all as they cost – financially and socially - New Zealand so much more in the long term.

So, we are making 2018 our year to implement new ways of providing more homes to people in need by, working on new ways of raising capital, including establishing an impact investment programme; having a focus on developing an asset management strategy that will align our property assets with our strategic goals and the need to provide more homes; trying other fundraising options; being ready to work with the new government should they create initiatives that will enable Dwell to grow our supply of affordable homes.

As usual all our decision-making and work will be guided by Dwell’s values of people-centred, community building and forward thinking.

We have been working through some of these ideas for a long time so excited to finally be trying them out. We always need help – in big and small ways – so please keep an eye on what we are doing this year. We’ll be regularly updating our Facebook page and our website. One thing you can do now is let others know about our work. Not enough people know about Dwell and the work we do for people in housing need.

All the best for this year and we hope you’ll be part of Dwell’s 2018.

Alison Cadman, Chief Executive