Community occupancy | Hamilton City Council

Hamilton City Council supports the vital role community groups play in promoting wellbeing and in supporting Council’s vision and outcomes. One way Council supports these community groups is by providing a lease or licence for land and/or buildings at a community rate – we term it community occupancy. As there is growing demand for these resources, Council needs to ensure community occupancy maximises community benefit.

To be eligible to apply groups need to be not-for-profit and provide services, activities and programmes for the benefit of Hamilton communities.

Principles

The guiding principles for the Community Occupancy:

The Council will support Community Groups by making land and/or buildings available for Community Occupancy.
The Council wishes to enable Community Groups to support Council's vision and community outcomes as defined in the 10-Year Plan, as well as Strategies and Plans.
The Council will endeavour to ensure equity, consistency and transparency in the allocation of Community Occupancy.
The Council will endeavour to ensure maximum community benefit from Community Occupancy.
The Council will set rental at a rate that empowers Community Groups to be sustainable.
The Council will be able to quantify the level of assistance provided to Community Groups through Community Occupancy.
The Council will encourage shared/multi-use of land and/or buildings to optimise community benefit.
The Council will aspire to balance maximising open space with enabling growth and responding to future community needs and trends.