Paula Comerford
Associate

+64 (4) 801 0502
+64 (274) 481 488
paula.comerford@stimpson.co.nz

Paula’s strength is her ability to understand her clients’ requirements and come up with robust and affordable strategies to effectively meet their specialist housing and property needs.

She is a very strong negotiator and property advocate and achieves cost effective property solutions for all her clients. Paula is very innovative and has been involved in  many growth strategies within the community sector.

She has a direct approach to problem solving and effectively bridges the gap between  strategy  and  delivery.

Paula has worked with many large  community, iwi, territorial authorities and disability organisations. Examples include;

• NZ Red Cross;disposal strategies, maintenance programmes and general property advisory.
• Barnardos;strategic asset review, portfolio management, and asset advisory.
• Wellington City Council Community Services Division; advisory services to the Wellington community sector. This role included  the establishment of community clusters of one stop shop services services to the migrant and refugee communities, elderly, advocacy groups and health providers.
• NZ Family Planning Association; Relationships Aotearoa, specialist accommodation strategies and delivery.
• Specialist property advisory to the early childhood sector eg Barnardos, Kindergarten Association and many community crèches.

Paula has also extensive knowledge of the national social housing scene, from her work as a community consultant and senior social housing manager.  She is currently working alongside a number of local and national community organisations and territorial authorities to help them improve the performance of their social housing assets through partnering, asset transfer and redevelopment. Examples include

• NZ Care Group, currently undertaking specialist housing development, disposal projects and  community housing projects.
• Structural reviews and Tenancy and Maintenance policy and procedures for Ngati Porou Haurora, Whatever it Takes Charitable Trust, Tauranga Community Housing Trust, Ngati Kahungunu Executive
• Undertook a housing needs assessment, Housing Strategic Plan, Business plan and project planning process for Ngati Porou Hauora, Whatever it Takes Charitable Trust .
• Undertook a pensioner housing disposal options review for Whakatane District Council.

 

Paula has academic qualifications in education and has held senior and general management roles at Housing New Zealand Corporation, IHC New Zealand, Wellington City Council and The Property Group.

She is a member of the IHC Wellington Association and Community Housing Aotearoa.