A Christchurch housing trust is pushing for permission to allow temporary housing set up in a park for quake victims to be used by some of the hundreds of people waiting for social housing.
The temporary village was set up in Linwood Park in August 2011 for people who were out of their homes while earthquake repairs were completed.
Under the initial agreement the temporary homes can stay on the park until June 2021, but only half of the 34 houses are currently used for their original purpose.
The village's manager, Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust, said it was frustrating to have the homes sitting unused while more than 800 people were waiting for homes.
Its chief executive Cate Kearney said it was frustrating the law effectively stopped those seeking social housing from using them.
She said her preference was for the houses to be removed from the park and permanently re-instated at new locations as social housing.
"However, we have 18 months to do that. Ideally my team would say we want to put people permanently into a house, but the need is great at the moment, and we have two-, three-bedroom houses sitting there that could be used for social housing."
The Ministry of Social Development has 829 people on its waiting list for social housing, and Ms Kearney said the Linwood homes would be good-quality, warm homes that could ease some of the pressure.
The homes were set up under MSD but are now controlled by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
Ms Kearney said she had communicated with both ministries but was no wiser about how to bring about a change in use.
Christchurch City Council housing sub-committee chair Glenn Livingstone said he supported the move and would push council to apply some pressure on the government.
"I think we need to look at all options given the growing waiting list for social housing, and the fact that social housing is just one step up from homelessness, so fully supportive of the trust to get people in there and I think we need to find a way to cut through some red tape and to just get people in."
Ms Kearney said she had also sought help from local MP Duncan Webb.
Mr Webb said he was cautiously supportive.
He said he'd like the houses to be used as much as possible, but the local community needed to be consulted about any changes in use.
"If there are houses that are vacant there and across the road people who need houses then we want to meet that gap. We also have to recognise that the deal that was struck with the community was that you can use the park for houses that are needed for earthquake relief, so I don't want to break that social contract either."
Mr Webb said he wanted to speak to the local community and hear their views first, but a law change might not be needed to solve the impasse: a new agreement between the Housing Trust and the council might be a quicker way to get cold families into warm, empty homes.
