Submission to Consultation on Healthy Homes Standards

We have over 90 Community Ministry centres and Churches (Corps) across the nation, serving local families and communities. Many of our social services have direct or indirect with housing and the rental market. These include our Salvation Army Social Housing (SASH), our Transitional Housing contracts with Ministry of Social Development, and our foodbanks and financial mentors that often work with people in housing crisis and/or living in a rental situation.

The Salvation Army is committed to every New Zealander having a healthy, dry and safe home. A healthy, dry and safe home is vitally important for health outcomes. Combatting respiratory diseases, rheumatic fever and skin infections are all associated with substandard housing, overcrowding and homelessness. Allowing families and individuals access to healthy housing allows for better health outcomes and therefore better education, work outcomes and productivity.