Our vision
Waiheke Community Housing Trust improves the wellbeing of the Waiheke community by providing the hope, expertise and practical pathways towards secure and affordable homes.
Why we exist
Waiheke does not have enough long-term rental housing. Homes are converted to short-stay visitor accommodation, and households who have lived and worked here for years are displaced to the mainland. That erodes the community: families, and the skilled and essential workers the island depends on.
Our history
2017: The Trust is founded by a group of community members determined to make a difference for Waiheke families.
2020: We develop two apartments at 80 Waiheke Road, one of them accessible. The project is funded by members of the community, all of whom are repaid. The property is later sold when costs rise.
2024: We accept a Housing Coordination Grant from the Waiheke Local Board, Auckland Council.
2026: We publish our Long-Term Strategy and Business Plan 2026 to 2036, and development of two homes at 11-13 Ostend Road gets under way.
What we do
- Property management. We manage long-term rentals for island property owners. Our management fee is lower than commercial agencies charge, and owners are asked to pass that saving to the tenant as a weekly rent reduction. The Trust does not retain it. Every property under our management offers below-market rent.
- Tenancies. We place households with strong links to Waiheke in secure, long-term tenancies. Applicants are checked through MyRent.co.nz, and we look for deep island links, whether that is family here, a long personal history, or children in local schools and childcare. We work with Waiheke Budgeting Services to support tenants through financial hardship.
- Healthy Homes. We assess properties against the Healthy Homes Standards, give owners a prioritised plan for any work needed, and re-check once it is complete. We re-assess each managed property every two years.
- Development. We are developing two rental homes at 11-13 Ostend Road: Unit A, a transportable studio or one-bedroom home, and Unit B, a one-bedroom home built on site. We expect both to be occupied in 2027. Unlike 80 Waiheke Road, these are homes the Trust will hold for the long term, designed to be sustainable and energy efficient.
- Partnerships and advocacy. We work with Waiheke Budgeting Services, the Housing on Island group, the Waiheke Local Board and Auckland Council, and we make submissions on planning and housing policy.
Our portfolio
We currently manage 10 long-term rentals for island property owners, and the portfolio is growing. Our homes are in Onetangi, Palm Beach, Surfdale and Ostend.
Where we are now
Rents across the current portfolio are reduced, but are not yet within reach of the lowest-income households. Building the Trust's capacity to develop and hold its own homes is what closes that gap. The Board reviews progress toward it each year.
Funding and supporters
The Trust is funded by management fees, grants and donations.
In late 2024 we accepted a Housing Coordination Grant from the Waiheke Local Board, Auckland Council.
We are also supported by the Auckland Foundation.
Strategy and Business Plan
Our Long-Term Strategy 2026 to 2036 sets five missions: advocacy, facilitation, development, partnership and activation. It has four goals: innovative development, including lease frameworks through our Building on Other People's Land programme; a strong financial position built on a Trust-owned balance sheet; regulatory influence, so that policy prioritises long-term homes over visitor accommodation; and community engagement.
Our Business Plan 2026 to 2036 sets out how the Trust sustains itself. We manage 10 properties now and plan to reach 75 by 2035, so that management fees increasingly fund our work.