Media Release
Accessible Properties is delighted that Greg Orchard has begun in the new role of Chief Executive as the organisation prepares to acquire and manage more than a thousand Housing New Zealand houses in Tauranga.
Greg comes to Accessible Properties from the Wellington City Council where he held the role of Chief Operating Officer. He is a Chartered Accountant with a strong housing background who has previously worked at Housing New Zealand in the roles of Chief Financial Officer and General Manager of Asset Services.
“We are really pleased to have Greg take on this new role,” says Accessible Properties Chair Paul Adams. “The Tauranga investment means significant growth for the organisation and it’s fantastic to have someone with his expertise managing the new business alongside our existing properties.”
Accessible Properties signed a contract with the Government in December to become the landlords for 1140 Tauranga homes currently managed by Housing New Zealand from 1 April 2017.
Accessible Properties is a wholly owned subsidiary of IHC, which has been in housing for more than 60 years. From April Accessible Properties will manage more than 2700 properties including around 2500 homes (many owned by IHC).
“Accessible Properties is trusted housing provider and is already an operation of scale,” says IHC Chief Executive Ralph Jones. “It was born from a service providing housing for people with intellectual disabilities, but there’s been a huge increase in the number of people desperate for good quality social housing in recent years.”
Accessible Properties already has more than 500 social housing homes including the older person’s portfolio it acquired from the Hamilton City Council last year. It has a contract to provide more than 350 additional homes in Auckland, is promising to add another 150 to the Tauranga portfolio and is continuing to build homes in other areas where there’s urgent need – Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch.
“I am really looking forward to getting my teeth into this role,” says Greg Orchard. “Whether it’s continuing to provide great housing to people with disabilities or to the rapidly increasing number of people needing social housing I know what a difference a good home makes.
“This is an exciting time to be leading this already strong organisation.”
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