Category: Houses

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

In late January 2023, Salu and her family’s Kāinga Ora home was badly damaged in the Auckland Anniversary flooding. The family lost most of their belongings and had to move into temporary accommodation.

But with repairs complete and extensive renovations done, the family were able to move back into their home in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga just before Christmas.

“It was beautiful, especially just before Christmas,” says Salu. “We love being in our own home again and we’re so grateful to have it liveable and looking so good. The children are so much happier now; they’re relaxed, and they feel safe again.”

The dedicated Auckland flood recovery team had overseen a full renovation of the home to make it safe and comfortable. The damaged wall linings and flooring were replaced, the electrics checked and repaired, and the kitchen replaced. Extensive drainage works have also been done to reduce the risk of flooding in the future.

The family has also received a delivery of furniture and whiteware to replace items lost in the floods, thanks to a partnership between Kāinga Ora and New Zealand Red Cross.

Kāinga Ora Deputy Chief Executive for Auckland and Northland, Caroline Butterworth says that while private insurers offer contents insurance, “we are aware that insurance may be an expense customers don’t always feel they can afford. That is why we have worked hard since the floods to try to connect customers who lost belongings with organisations that are set up to provide that type of support.

“One of the things we have done is partner with New Zealand Red Cross to provide home package essentials for those customers who lost personal possessions. The packages include essential furniture and household items for bathroom, kitchen, dining, living and bedroom areas. These packages have been prioritised for customers who have no other means of replacing or sourcing these items.’’

New Zealand Red Cross also gave the family $1000 worth of vouchers from The Warehouse.

“It felt like an early visit from Santa!” says Salu. “It was so nice to be able to buy the children the clothes they needed plus a few treats for Christmas. They’d lost all their presents from last Christmas in the flood.

Salu says the family can now look forward to the future, secure in their home again. She says the process has been made easier by the support from both New Zealand Red Cross and the flood recovery team at Kāinga Ora.

“They have walked alongside us from when the flood happened, keeping us informed and helping us stay sane during stressful moments. Even now we’re home, the team is in touch to ensure we have what we need.”

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

This is the culmination of a two-year partnership with Kāinga Ora driven by HBHS Head of Technology, Salla Delport and his principal the late Rob Sturch.

The three houses will be used to home families in need on a site in Willowpark Road, central Hastings. They were moved offsite from HBHS just before Christmas and have been temporarily placed at the Brittons House Movers yard in Maraekākaho. They will be relocated to Willowpark Road in Hastings once consents and siteworks are complete. This is likely to be before May 2024.

The three houses were built by the students under the close, watchful eye of Salla Delport and licensed building practitioner Trent Bray. The Year 13 students were involved in the Building Academy, a building and construction industry training organisation (BCITO) accredited building course.

Out of the 17 students who took part this year, 14 have already been employed in the building or construction industry.

The programme is set to continue this year and give another group of students a similar work experience and teach them the skills needed to gain employment after school.

The partnership is a great example of the school and government agencies working together in a way that benefits the students and the Hastings community says Naomi Whitewood (Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi) Regional Director East North Island. “It is a game changer for students, schools and communities. Students have the opportunity to build skills and get real world experience constructing houses for those in need of warm, dry, new homes. The partnership is also creating pathways into the industry, and ensuring a pipeline of rangatahi with employment-ready trade skills.”

“We know the students graduate the academy ready for the workforce and able to add value to their employer from day one. They understand health and safety requirements, they know how to use the tools and they know what is required to work as part of a team.”

Kāinga Ora has a significant programme delivering public housing in Hawke’s Bay and these three warm, dry homes will make a significant difference to the whānau that move into them.

The Hastings Boys High School Trade Academy is one of 11 academies throughout the country that are training young people for the construction industry and building quality homes for Kāinga Ora.

Read more on our Training and apprenticeships.

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

Some 747 public homes were extensively renovated over the past financial year, and another 820 will undergo renovations by the end of June this year.

Kāinga Ora General Manager Construction and Innovation, Patrick Dougherty, says the renovations are part of a public housing renewal programme first piloted in 2019 when 69 old public houses were renovated.

The programme has grown steadily each year as Kāinga Ora has invested more into continuing the country’s legacy of providing public houses to people in need.

“Some of our homes date back to the early days of public housing. They have been great homes, but they were designed for a different way of living and are starting to show their age,” Mr Dougherty says.

“We’re breathing new life into those homes to make sure they’re not only warm, dry and safe, but work for the way people live both today and well into the future.

“We’re completely renovating the homes – with things like new kitchens, bathrooms, insulation and double glazing – to bring them up to modern standards. When the renovations are done, it’s like stepping into a new build – the effects can be truly life-changing for the whānau who live in those homes,” Mr Dougherty says.

For the homes we renovated last year Kāinga Ora supplies included:

• Nearly 85,000 litres of paint.
• Over 11,000 new double-glazed windows.
• Just over 46,000 square metres of new carpet.
• Nearly 200,000 square metres of insulation.

About 12 trades work on each home, creating employment and training opportunities, and a raft of positive ripple effects for local builders, suppliers and individuals in communities throughout the country.

Kāinga Ora build partner Rhys Finlay Construction has been completing renovations on about one public home a week in the Hutt Valley. The company employs 50 people full-time, including seven apprentices, and contracts over 100 tradespeople.

“Renovating an old state house is great training for our apprentices as we often need to problem solve with architects or engineers during construction” says the company’s director Rhys Finlay.

“We live and work in the Hutt Valley area so many people know us and we’re seeing the impact these renovations are having on neighbourhoods. The Kāinga Ora customers whose homes we complete are excited to move back home and our teams take pride in seeing neighbourhoods refreshed as the homes are renovated.”

Mr Dougherty says the renovation work that Kāinga Ora is doing is on top of the regular maintenance work it does on all its homes.

In the last financial year to 30 June 2023 Kāinga Ora, through its maintenance programme, has:

• Added 1,878,656 square meters of insulation to homes – enough to cover the Wellington Airport runway 21 times.
• Installed 335,998 square meters of new roofing – enough to cover the roof of Auckland’s Eden Park Stadium 21 times.
• Fitted over 20,000 new heat pumps and over 9,700 electric ovens.

“Our homes are cared for by a network of around 11,000 tradies across the country, who complete more than half a million maintenance jobs a year – that’s roughly one every minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” Mr Dougherty says.

“We understand New Zealand’s public housing is a taonga and it’s one we’re committed to investing in so it can continue to benefit future generations for years to come.”  

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

However, many of the families coming from motels etc have no household goods of their own.  

Fortunately, in Hawke’s Bay, organisations like Re-Source are ready to help families overcome this challenge.

Re-Source is a Hawke’s Bay not-for-profit focused on rehoming, reusing and repurposing pre-loved resources to people in need through trusted networks – reducing waste while strengthening our region.

Re-Source supports people doing the mahi in communities, such as social workers, Plunket nurses, health staff and Kāinga Ora housing support managers.

Re-Source founder Nadine Gaunt says we often help people who are moving from emergency housing, where they can’t have any of their own household goods, into a long-term Kāinga Ora home.

“When one of the team from Kāinga Ora contacted Re-Source about the 14 newly built homes that were completed just before Christmas, I knew there would be families who needed furniture.”

“I was keen to help, but the volume that would be needed in a short timeframe presented a problem. Donors regularly offer us furniture, but we don’t always have the room. to receive, sort, clean, repair, and collate donations for distribution. We can help more people if we have more space.”

Since the start, Re-Source has been collaborating with Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga (TToH), and Chair Mike Paku says on hearing Re-Source’s need offered two vacant garages in Hastings.

Naomi Whitewood, (Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi) Regional Director East North Island says this has been a great example of local organisations collaborating for a common cause.

“Often our whānau come from emergency housing with very little because they can’t store furniture or homeware at motels – they arrive at a new home with no furniture, no linen, and no kitchenware. Re-Source gives them dignity and independence by giving them a head start in setting up a home,” says Naomi.

“Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga has helped Re-Source to help us, in turn, we will help people who need a warm, dry home. And those people, who often have a relationship with TToH, will be happier and healthier. In the end, we are all getting closer to where we need to be.”

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

Whānau will soon be able to move into eight two-bedroom and one three-bedroom home at Main Road in Stoke.

The homes were blessed by local iwi this week and neighbours had a chance to look through the homes before residents move in.

Julia Campbell, Regional Director Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast, says one of the ways Kāinga Ora is increasing the number of homes available for people in need is by purchasing them off developers once they are completed, as it has done with these homes in Stoke.

“These homes are in an ideal location in Stoke as they’re within walking distance to schools, shops and other services. We’re looking forward to welcoming people and their families into a stable place that they can call home,” she says.

A mix of current customers and people who are on the housing register managed by Ministry of Social Development will move into the new homes. “Before placing a customer in a Kāinga Ora home, our dedicated placement team talks to them about both their housing needs and connections to the community and other groups to help us make a suitable housing match,” Ms Campbell says.

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

Regional Director Naomi Whitewood (Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi), says the new homes are a welcome addition for families in desperate need of a home. “We know that having a warm, dry place to call home can make such a huge difference to people’s lives. One of the ways we’re looking to increase the number of homes available for people in need is by purchasing them new from developers.”.

“There’s a growing demand for more housing in the Havelock North area and some of the people moving into the homes are effectively moving back home. We’re pleased to be able to provide modern homes for people in an ideal location that’s very close to town, shops, schools and other services.”

Local kaumatua blessed each of the homes alongside the families who moved into into them. After the blessing the new residents met each other. Many shared their journey of struggling to have somewhere suitable to live and their joy at moving into one of the new, quality homes.

One of the families moving in is pleased to be returning back to Havelock North after a couple of years living in motels. Joseph and Karen lived in Havelock North for three and a half years before they became homeless when their landlord sold the house they were living in.

We applied for so many private rentals but just couldn’t get anything, says Karen. “Since 2021 we have been living with two of our sons in emergency accommodation. We have been in small motel rooms, firstly in Havelock North and then in Hastings. We all struggled living in such tight quarters, but we had no choice but to put up with it.”

“We loved the relaxed family atmosphere and being part of the Havelock North community when we last lived here. I have been praying that we would be able to get a home back in this area. I was also praying for number seven, for a small lawn and stairs to keep me fit. This lovely new home answers all my prayers. I am so pleased that the boys will now have their own rooms after sleeping in a dormitory at the last motel. It will be a lovely place for me to finish the book I have been writing.”

For Joseph community is very important. “People who were living at the motel had been to ground zero, but we learnt to communicate, to support each other and build others up. I felt that same sense of community as were waiting to start the blessing of our new home.  The whakawhanaungatanga (creating relationships) when everyone shared their stories was a special moment. It was how it should be; learning about our neighbours was a good introduction into our new community.”

Mrs Whitewood says people who have not had a suitable place to live are moving into the homes. “Before placing a customer in a Kāinga Ora home, our dedicated placement team talk to them about both their housing needs and connections to the community and other groups to help us make a suitable housing match,” she said.  

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

The HDS is a new way of planning and building quality homes faster, driving productivity, reliability and reducing costs. It currently operates alongside existing ways Kāinga Ora is providing new homes for New Zealanders in need.

The latest milestone of houses built in a 59-day timeframe (including foundations, civil works and construction of three homes) reduces the standard construction time for a similar project by more than half.

“The challenge was set, and we nailed it,” says Jennian Homes Operations Manager, Paul Jenkins.

“We pride ourselves on doing a good job. We’ve got a high-quality process, and we’ll continue to do that. I believe Kāinga Ora and Jennian Homes have got a fantastic partnership. I wouldn’t have gone into the challenge of building this in 59 days unless I knew I had the support.

Kāinga Ora public housing customers are now beginning to move into the new one-bedroom homes in Christchurch, which are universally designed and accessibility friendly.

Earlier this year, Kāinga Ora also partnered with Jennian Homes Residential (NZ) & Jennian Homes Canterbury to complete three new homes in 68 days through the HDS. Learnings from this project were applied to the 59-day build, providing key insights and improvement opportunities.

HDS Group Lead, Jannie Greeff, says efficiencies are achieved by tightly coordinating and tracking all the different tasks, minimising duplication and rework.

“The reliable and repeatable nature of the HDS means our people and our build partners know what needs to happen, when it needs to be done and why, and who needs to do it,” says Jannie.

“It’s about detailed planning, resourcing and sequencing of tasks to create a predictable and steady workflow. The output of a high-quality home doesn’t change from our usual standards, just the way we get there.”

The HDS continues to evolve, as Kāinga Ora tests the system for regional differences, housing typologies and scale.

Homes are now being built using this method in more than 20 towns and cities throughout the country.

Through the HDS Kāinga Ora is also reducing the planning and design of new housing by 94% – from an average of 17 months to six weeks – enabling construction to get underway on the ground faster. Importantly, it means more homes for kiwis in a shorter time.

Strong sector partnerships are key to delivering on these targets, says Jannie.

“Speed is picking up and we are starting to see the rewards of all the good work over the last 18 months. Having build partners who are engaged and invested in this new way of delivery from the start makes all the difference.

“We cannot achieve these milestones in isolation. Together with our build partners and suppliers we continue to innovate and improve, so we can deliver housing in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible to meet the ongoing need in our communities.”

Watch the video below to hear more from build partner Jennian Homes Residential (NZ) & Jennian Homes Canterbury and the Kāinga Ora HDS team.

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

For a long time, Kat’z slept rough on inner-city streets. She’d left home young because the streets were a safer place to be – and for years she lived as part of the rough sleeping community.

When she eventually moved into a home, Kat’z maintained her work as a “street mother” – a protective figure for other members of the rough sleeping community. She was someone they could go to for help, day or night.

However, there were times when she needed a little solitude – and that’s what exactly what she’s found since moving into her new Kainga Ora home at Te Mātāwai.

Comprising 200 apartments across two buildings, it’s the biggest public housing complex in Aotearoa, and customers are afforded extra layers of privacy by Hapori Kaitiaki, the guardians who are onsite 24/7.

“What I love about this place is that I have privacy and security. Visitors have to go through reception, so that gives you the choice to say if it’s a good time or not. I feel safe here.”

Kat’z has beautiful views from her apartment, which is perfectly sized for her needs. “I have a bedroom and a space I use as a little office where I can study or work on my art. I have my guitars in there, too.”

When she’s not working in her role as a peer support worker, Kat’z likes to join some of the activities on offer within the development such as waiata and art classes, which she finds therapeutic.

“Art runs for two hours, every weekday. It’s enough to deescalate anything that’s gone on for me that day.”

She also makes good use of the communal spaces and is enjoying getting to know her new neighbours.

“At first, I found it a bit hard seeing lots of new faces in the building, but you become accustomed to it – we get to know each other.

“You can hear life around you in the building and I like that because you’ve got to have that human contact, you don’t want to be isolated.”

Kat’z is looking forward to spending her first Christmas at Te Mātāwai with whānau, “just being with others in kindness and happiness – it’s going to be special.”

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

The couple has moved back into their one-bedroom home in Nelson in time for the festive season, after almost four months temporarily living in another Kāinga Ora house while renovations were carried out at their place.

“We try to use the deck as much as we can,” explains Ivy. “We make the most of it at breakfast time and try to get out there as much as possible. We are so spoilt here.”

Ivy and Glynn have lived in their home for eight years. While they were happy with the way it was before the renovations, they say it’s been wonderful to return to their home after it was given a new lease on life.

“It’s fresh and I love the new carpet. They’ve also made a good job of the bench in the kitchen,” Glynn says.

“I love it all!” Ivy adds.

Ivy and Glynn’s home was among 10 units in their housing complex that have been significantly improved as part of a programme that renews the life of a home for up to 50 more years and ensures they are warmer, drier, healthier and more energy efficient.

The homes have been freshly painted inside and out and new carpet and vinyl laid. New double glazing, insulation and heat pumps have been installed to make them warmer and drier. The homes also have new bathrooms and kitchens, and their layout has been changed so they now have an open-plan living space.

Julia Campbell, Regional Director Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast, says upgrading older homes has many benefits.

“We support our customers whose homes are undergoing work to move into other accommodation, and they get to move back into their homes after it’s completed. We know what a difference having a warm and dry home can make to people’s mental and physical health, which is why we’re focussing on improving many of our older homes in Nelson,” she says.

“We’re focussed on helping to support the local workforce, so aim to use Nelson contractors where we can – in this case, we’ve worked closely with a local contractor, Scott Construction, to complete the work on the homes in this development.”

And not only have the team finished the work – but they got everything done ahead of schedule.

“Scott Construction finished the work ahead of schedule, which means our customers have been able to move back into their homes sooner than they expected. We’re really pleased that our customers will be able to enjoy this Christmas in their much-improved homes,” Ms Campbell says.

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

Aaliyah is pulling out the stops to create a wonderful life for her family. As well as caring for her two beautiful young children and supporting her teenage brother, she is working full-time and studying full-time!

“It’s pretty intense, but I want to be a good role model for my children, to show them that they can do well in life,” she says.

It’s a huge undertaking for anyone, and for Aaliyah it was especially tricky given that until recently, she and her children, ages 5 and 3, were sharing their 2-bedroom unit with her younger brother, 19.

“It was a bit overwhelming as we didn’t have enough space,” she recalls. “We’d be sleeping in the lounge and the children had to sit on the floor at mealtimes.”

For Kāinga Ora to allocate the right-sized home to customers, everyone living there needs to be registered with MSD as someone who’s eligible for public housing.

Aaliyah helped her brother to navigate the process and when his application was approved, staff at the Kāinga Ora office in Ōtara, South Auckland, found the family a house with a garden. At last, plenty of room for everyone.

Things that lots of families take for granted are now a daily reminder for Aaliyah of the joy of everyone having their own space.

“It’s really good,” she says. “I used to wonder if I’d ever get my daughter out of my bed but now that she’s got her own bedroom, she’s excited about bedtime! And when my little boy gets grumpy with me, he says, ‘I’m going to my room!’ and closes the door behind him.”

Aaliyah is also delighted to have more room to study as she is part way through a degree in bicultural social work.

“I was feeling quite stressed and overwhelmed at my last home but since moving, a lot of my stress and anxiety has dropped away.”

As well as studying, Aaliyah is a mental health support worker for Kāhui Tū Kaha, a community organisation providing support with health, housing and social services.

“I used to work in a factory, but I wanted more out of life. In my family, we have a history of leaving school young and working in factories, but I wanted to show my children that they could do things differently.”

And now that her family is settled into their cosy new home, Aaliyah can focus better on her goals.