Mr Stanley-Jones and his daughter, Angelique (9), will move in to their two-bedroom apartment at the recently-completed Toru Apartments, in Remarkables Park, as soon as title is issued.
For the past five years the pair have been boarding with another family in Lake Hayes Estate as he watched property prices in the Wakatipu rise out of his reach.
Having lived in Queenstown for 12 years, he registered with the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust two years ago.
If it was not for its secure home programme, he would probably have had to relocate to Alexandra or Cromwell, he said.
The secure home scheme is a New Zealand first, in which buyers purchase the properties through a 100-year lease arrangement and the trust retains ownership of the land in perpetuity.
Another 15 units are going into public housing, six are being sold on the open market and the balance are being retained as affordable rentals, or rent-to-buy units.
At yesterday’s launch, housing trust trustee Joanne Conroy said after Covid-19 hit last year, trustees had "a few sleepless nights" worrying about the development, agreed upon about three years ago.
However, the government loan had brought it to fruition.
Ms Conroy also paid tribute to Queenstown Lakes District Council for its support and its inclusionary zoning process, which had provided land allowing the trust to house 177 families to date, not including Toru.
The zoning was first established through a plan change "way back when", but it was "cancelled by the Environment Court".
It was latterly included in the Special Housing Area legislation, since revoked.
The council was now working to embed the zoning into the district plan; however, Ms Conroy strongly urged Housing Minister Megan Woods to ensure the Government included it in any future streamlined planning processes put in place.
"Without inclusionary zoning and the land it provides to community housing providers, we simply won’t be able to provide sufficient affordable housing to make a difference in our communities."
Queenstown Lakes mayor Jim Boult said one-bedroom apartments in the scheme were about $220,000, and it was about $320,000 for a two-bedroom.
"I think it’s an absolutely marvellous model and, minister, I’d commend that to you for other places challenged in housing elsewhere."
Dr Woods said the progressive home ownership (PHO) schemes were "not easy work" and took time to achieve.
"We have 12 families who have already moved into their own homes in Auckland and Hamilton and by the end of this year we expect around 80 households to be living in their own homes through PHO funding.
"In the last couple of weeks we’ve seen the scheme used as a political football and the hard work of many of those involved in this scheme has been ridiculed and demeaned.
"One life transformed matters.
"So do 12 lives transformed matter.
"So let’s keep working together to transform many, many, many more lives."
