Our History

QLCHT was created in 2007, with the task of ensuring residents of the Queenstown Lakes District have access to decent and secure tenure housing at a cost within their means.

Housing affordability is an issue particularly endemic to international resort towns throughout the world. Cities like Whistler, Aspen and Queenstown are typical tourism destinations which share similar challenges with significant numbers of low-median income earners and high housing costs.

The Queenstown Lakes consistently has one of the highest median house prices in New Zealand. The problem is amplified by the higher cost of living in Queenstown while wages remain on par with the rest of the country. This has led to a challenge for the community to attract and retain workers.

The Trust was founded as a result of a community wide consultation into finding solutions for the housing affordability issue. We’re an independent, not-for-profit, community-owned organisation which answers to a range of stakeholders. Our activities are governed by a Trust Deed administered by a Board of six trustees.

QLCHT is a registered Community Housing Provider (CHP) with the Community Housing Regulatory Authority. We’re a recognised leader in the CHP sector, and active member of our peak body, Community Housing Aotearoa.

We also have a Memorandum of Understanding with peak body for Māori Housing, Te Matapihi. This MoU acknowledges the alignment of our two organisations’ respective purposes and kaupapa. It also provides recognition of the approach QLCHT takes to sharing our intellectual property and learnings across the country.

In 2024 we signed a Heads of Agreement with local kaupapa Māori organisation, Mana Tāhuna, which acknowledges our shared values and kaupapa around housing. The HoA outlines our desire to collaborate with the mutual objective of facilitating Māori, and other people and families with housing need and housing vulnerability, into affordable and secure housing.