Source
https://chfa.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/CHFA-Social-Finance-Framework-Final-August-14-2025-2.pdf — original source (opens in a new tab; the file is not redistributed)
Domain routing: i01_financial_economic_sufficiency · i05_good_governance_transparency · i07_fulfilment_basic_needs · d04_sustainable_habitat_building · edt_ssi_convergence
Summary
CHFA’s Social Finance Framework dated 14 August 2025. Sets out the principles and structure under which CHFA issues Social Bonds and Social Loans, aligned with ICMA Social Bond Principles 2025 (SBP) and APLMA/LMA/LSTA Social Loan Principles 2025 (SLP). Provides background on the NZ affordable housing continuum, CHP sector scale, eligible use of proceeds, project evaluation and selection process, and reporting/disclosure commitments.
Key claims
CHP sector scale (as at June 2025):
- Fewer than 100 registered CHPs in New Zealand
- Over 19,000 properties under management, housing people selected from the Housing Register
NZ affordable housing definition:
- Affordable housing = housing costs less than 30% of a household’s gross (pre-tax) income — market-standard definition used by CHFA (contrast: Stats NZ/MSD uses 30% of disposable income)
Housing continuum:
- Emergency → Social → Assisted rental → Assisted ownership → Private rental → Private ownership
- Q1–Q2 income quintiles rely on emergency/social housing; Q2–Q3 on assisted options; Q3–Q5 on private
Social Finance Framework structure:
- Four pillars: Use of Proceeds, Process for Project Evaluation and Selection, Management of Proceeds, Disclosure and Reporting
- Aligns with ICMA Social Bond Principles 2025 and APLMA/LMA/LSTA Social Loan Principles 2025
- Social Ratio = Total Social Assets / Total Social Finance Proceeds ≥ 1.0 (board-monitored quarterly)
- Proceeds fully allocated within 24 months of being raised
Mixed tenure lending:
- CHFA explicitly finances integrated developments combining social housing, assisted rentals, assisted ownership, and market-rate homes in a single project
- Market-rate component improves CHP financial capacity to deliver more affordable supply
- CHFA recognises sustainable, inclusive communities as those with co-located tenure diversity
Project screening:
- Loans screened for social and environmental risks per NZ law
- Requires building/resource consents, code compliance certificates, and Healthy Homes Standards compliance (where applicable)
- Quarterly and annual financial reviews of all Eligible Borrowers
Target populations:
- People in serious housing need on the NZ Housing Register (Q1–Q2 incomes)
- Māori, Pacific peoples, migrants, elderly, and other groups marginalised by the housing market
UN SDG alignment:
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities (affordable housing category)
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities (socioeconomic advancement and empowerment category)
Governance and reporting:
- Board sets all lending policies; Framework reviewed at least annually by Board
- Annual Impact Reports from 2026, publicly available on CHFA website
- External review pre-issuance and annually on use-of-proceeds alignment
Neobiome Intelligence relevance
Mixed tenure model is directly relevant to community design: a Neobiome community development financed through CHFA would likely need to incorporate a range of housing types. The 30% gross income threshold establishes the market benchmark for housing affordability against which community housing performance can be assessed. The governance structure (ICMA alignment, annual Impact Reports from 2026) is a model for community enterprise transparency. CHP sector scale (<100 CHPs, >19,000 homes) contextualises the scale gap CHFA is designed to bridge.
Research targets
Documents to retrieve
(None — no secondary academic citations with data in this document.)
Research gaps / monitoring
- [RT_057] CHFA Annual Impact Reports (from 2026) — monitor for actual loan volumes, homes financed/refinanced, geographic coverage, borrower counts, co-financing sources. First issue expected 2026. → I01, I07, D04
Connections
Links to
SSI indicators (3): I01: Financial & Economic Self-Sufficiency · I05: Good Governance & Transparency · I07: Fulfilment of Basic Needs
EDT domains (1): D04: Sustainable Habitat & Building Technology
Concepts (1): EDT–SSI Convergence
Referenced by
SSI indicators (3): I01: Financial & Economic Self-Sufficiency · I05: Good Governance & Transparency · I07: Fulfilment of Basic Needs
EDT domains (1): D04: Sustainable Habitat & Building Technology
Sources (1): OT_020