Housing & Accommodation

Grey Power is pleased that MBIE is currently reviewing the phase-out of the low fixed charge regulations. “While we acknowledge the reasoning for removing universal low-user fixed charges, Grey Power remains of the view that low-user fixed charges should remain for those people who are on low incomes, and struggling...

Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA) allow a person to make choices for another when they are deemed to lack the capacity to make rational decisions. Ask around for the best deal. www.justice.govt.nz/family/powers-to-make-decisions/the-court-and-enduring-power-of-attorney-epa/ Not having a power of attorney can mean upsetting consequences such as a longer hospital stay. Older people have waited...

At Greenside Energy Solutions (previously Green- Star), our mission is to create warmer, healthier and more energy efficient Kiwi homes. We are proud to be partnered with EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) offering 80% government grants towards Insulation & Heating options making these fundamentals affordable and in some cases...

A growing number of retirees are facing the challenge of renting as they age. Suitable affordable properties are rare, and often only offer short term tenancies resulting in uncertainty and stress. For those retirees with limited financial resources trying to survive on the single NZ Superannuation weekly payment of $477.52,...

A growing number of retirees are facing the challenge of renting as they age. Suitable affordable properties are rare, and often only offer short term tenancies resulting in uncertainty and stress. For those retirees with limited financial resources trying to survive on the single NZ Superannuation weekly payment of $477.52,...

I was privileged to represent Grey Power at this important Hui held in Auckland on 3 October. The purpose was to support a collaborative approach amongst key organisations to advancing the causes of older people during the UN Decade of Health Ageing. Sponsored by the Selwyn Foundation, together with Age...

The NZ housing crisis persists. Alan Maxwell highlights the need for downsizing-friendly units to free up family homes. He suggests deferred repayment bridging finance, citing Cork City Council’s Rightsizing Scheme as a model. The question remains: what solutions can the new Government bring? We all know that there is a...

Grey Power Immediate Past Vice President Pete Matcham recently made a presentation to the New Zealand Association of Gerontology’s annual conference. The conference aimed to celebrate older people and their essential contributions to society and to address ageism. His report summarises the highlights of his presentation, “Driven to Distraction:...

For many Hawkes Bay residents, Cyclone Gabrielle required them to re-evaluate their needs, and shone a spotlight on just how important safety and community really is. Being unable to reach loved ones and cut off from basic amenities for an unknown amount of time, made people feel isolated and...

The AgedAdvisor annual awards have been held every year for almost a decade now – celebrating the best-of-the-best in aged care and retirement and lifestyle villages across Aotearoa. If you are not very digitally proficient, you may not have visited AgedAdvisor, however you may have completed a review on one...

If the nearly 40,000 Kiwis living in aged-care facilities all lived in one place the community would be about the size of Gisborne. They would almost qualify for their own electorate and have the right to appoint/elect a member of Parliament. 57 percent of those citizens require high levels...

If central government increased taxes at a rate greater than inflation every year for 20 plus years – there would be rioting in the streets – but that is what central government encourages local governments to do – every year. As the country’s demographics change and the population ages, new...