Category: Kainga Ora

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

The respite house – Whare Ahuru – is a time-out space for men who are struggling to maintain a violence-free lifestyle. It is a pilot, with Kāinga Ora providing a house adapted to meet the service provider’s needs.

Gisborne’s Tauawhi Men’s Centre and Tairāwhiti Men Against Violence have long had a vision of opening of a respite house for men.

Tim Marshall, Tauawhi Men’s Centre coordinator said in the Gisborne Herald, “The pilot takes a different approach to addressing family harm. If it’s the man who is being unsafe towards his family, it makes more sense for him to come away so that his partner and children can stay where they are. The traditional model is for Women’s Refuge to provide a space for women and children, but this often means leaving their home for something they are not responsible for.”

Te Puni Kokiri and local iwi Te Runanganui o Tūranganui a Kiwa are funding the lease and the service. Tauawhi Men’s Centre manages the lease and delivers the support service. “Tauawhi Whare Ahuru is a space that men can come to for a few days until it’s safe to return home. Ideally it will develop into a space that men can access in a preventative sense, before violence and/or police intervention occurs,” Tim added.

Tauawhi Charitable Trust were able to open their Whare Ahuru with the support of Kāinga Ora community group housing, in particular supported housing regional lead Bonnie. “This really was a team effort with Tauawhi putting in the hard mahi to achieve this excellent outcome, says Bonnie. “I am stoked for our tāne, whānau and hapori to have this service available in Tairāwhiti.”

Pictured above outside Tauawhi Whare Ahuru are (from left) Tauawhi Men’s Centre coordinator Tim Marshall, Kāinga Ora general manager national services Nick Mailing, manager supported housing delivery Naomi Price, director supported housing Karla Fisher and supported housing regional lead Bonnie Moana, Tauawhi trustee and patron Ralph Walker, Tauawhi Whare Ahuru kaitiaki Moetahi Kennedy, Coby Te Pairi of Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou, David Johnstone of Tauawhi Men’s Centre and Tauawhi Whare Ahuru kaitiaki, Curtis Bristowe of Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou and Tauawhi Whare Ahuru project manager Kim Torrez. Thanks Gisborne Herald for the photo.

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

Held annually, the New Zealand Rainbow Excellence Awards are the only Rainbow-focused awards programme in Aotearoa New Zealand, and acknowledge workplace leadership, innovation, best practice and collaboration in relation to LGBTTQIA+ communities.

As an organisation, we strive to ensure that we provide a working environment where all our people feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work and we are proud to have been nominated as finalists in two categories:

• ​​​​The Rainbow Tick Training and Development Award: Recognising organisations who provide training and development initiatives internally to improve Rainbow inclusion.
• The Rainbow Tick Non-Commercial Sector Award: Recognising and celebrating organisations within the non-commercial sector who demonstrate leadership and innovation in the area of Rainbow diversity and inclusion within and/or across their sector.

These nominations reflect our commitment to embracing diversity and inclusion for both staff and customers, including our employee-led Rainbow Network which is championing awareness of the Rainbow communities.

An initiative of the Rainbow Network has been for Kāinga Ora to take the Pride Pledge, and we are currently in our second year of Pride Pledge Gold level membership. This values-based commitment means demonstrating our dedication to the safety, visibility and inclusion of all the Rainbow members of our community and workforce.

We are also proud to provide our people with the opportunity to build on their diversity and inclusion capability within the organisation; earlier this year launching our Rainbow Awareness Learning Module to help improve understanding of our Rainbow workforce, customers and communities. The module is intended as an introduction to how we can all support in the creation of a safe and supportive workplace for our Rainbow communities at Kāinga Ora, and be more inclusive of our Rainbow customers.

Congratulations to our all our people across the organisation who have supported, and continue to support, Rainbow inclusion kaupapa at Kāinga Ora. We are making great progress in promoting a more diverse, equitable and inclusive place to work, and are proud to see this recognised with two Rainbow Excellence Awards nominations.  

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

Residents will begin moving into the single-level, full universal design homes on the corner of Richmond and Charles Streets in Blenheim later this month. Local iwi blessed the homes at the public housing complex earlier this week.

Julia Campbell, Regional Director Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast, says the homes will help to address some of the urgent need for housing in Marlborough. A total of 216 applicants are on the Ministry of Social Development public housing register in the region, 117 (54%) of whom are waiting for a one-bedroom home.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming people into these new warm and dry homes which will provide a stable place for them to live well,” she says.

The homes, which are part of the Government’s housing programme, include features that make them more accessible, such as wider doors and level entry access. They have also been built to a 6-Homestar rating, which means they will be warmer, healthier and more energy efficient. All of the homes have their own carparks.

Ms Campbell says four homes were previously on the Charles Street site before it was redeveloped.

“As part of our redevelopment programme, we’re looking to increase the number of homes in Blenheim by replacing some of our older homes on large sections that are past their best with additional warm and dry homes.

“These homes are in a great central location, with shops and other services all within easy reach,” she says.

Ms Campbell says a mixture of current customers and people from the public housing register will live in the homes.

“Our specialist team is currently speaking with people who will benefit from living in these new homes. Before placing a customer in a Kāinga Ora home, we 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 says.

The new homes were built by Blenheim construction company CMT Group Limited and took a year to complete. This latest development follows the completion of a 14 two-bedroom Kāinga Ora complex at Brewer Street in Blenheim in October last year.

There are 142 new public homes in the town in the pipeline until June 2025. This number is subject to consenting processes and construction timelines. 

See what’s happening in the Marlborough region.

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

Kāinga Ora has purchased 11 new 1-bedroom homes in Dey Street, Mosgiel.

Kerrie Young, Regional Director Otago, Southland and South Canterbury says the purchase of the new homes provides a great opportunity for Kāinga Ora to house more people at an ideally-located site.

“Mosgiel is a priority area for new public housing in Otago based on demand, with 408 people on the housing register in the wider Dunedin area as at March this year, so it’s important we continue to boost the supply of public housing.

“We’re delighted to have secured these homes in an area that is well connected to local services and amenities. The homes are well suited to modern lifestyles and all come with their own allocated off-street parking,” says Ms Young.

Kāinga Ora has also confirmed an agreement to purchase a site on Stafford Street, Central Dunedin.

The 2,361sqm site currently consists of a building and carparks.

“The site will be leased as we start to plan for new homes to be built on the site. Once this planning process is completed, we will be sharing our plans with the community.

“We are looking forward to whānau moving into the new Mosgiel homes and starting to plan for new homes to be built on the Central Dunedin site.

“Both of these acquisitions will go some way to helping meet the urgent need for more homes in the Otago region,” Ms Young says.

See what’s happening in the Otago region.

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

I am the youngest of the residents here says a spritely Darienne. “After the cyclone hit, I needed to be sure everyone was okay. Most of us have lived here for at least 10 years so we all know each other.”

“We had no electricity for six days and no phone or internet contact for four days. That was frightening for some of us. Not being able to contact friends and family for support meant we had to rely on each other.”

“My sister and her husband had to be evacuated and stayed three nights with me. My son and his young family were also evacuated and stayed a night with me. Together we tried to support my neighbours.”

“It was just little things – making cups of tea on the gas BBQ, having a chat or charging someone’s phone while I was driving. After six days all the food in our fridges and freezers had gone off. They all needed to be cleaned out and the food disposed of. With the welfare hub set up at St Joseph’s Māori Girls College just across the road I could get food for neighbours who weren’t getting their meals on wheels delivered at that time.“

Darienne’s neighbour Helen was grateful to have neighbours calling in “The floods isolated my daughter and she couldn’t get to me. I felt quite fed up with no power and no phone. I just listened to the radio. My leg was injured before the cyclone. Darienne asked the nurses based at the welfare hub to come over and check on it.  That was timely as my leg wasn’t doing too well and needed some attention from the doctor.”

Lack of contact with elderly family members was a worry for many after the cyclone. The Kāinga Ora contact centre received a call from a son concerned about his mother. He couldn’t contact her and was very worried. He thought she may have gone to stay with a close friend who lived in one of the five homes.

We tried to check on as many of our vulnerable customers as possible in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, says Housing Support Team Leader Rochelle. “When I received the call about the missing mother, I did a welfare check on all our customers in these five homes.  Mum was found safe and sound. That’s when I saw how all the residents had come together as a community to support each other. It was really heart-warming to see them making the best of what was a very challenging time.”

Housing support manager Casey continued to keep an eye on the tight five, helping some apply for Civil Defence payments to cover their losses and making sure wellbeing support was available for those that needed it.  

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

The Kāinga Ora customer arrived in Christchurch from Sāmoa with her family when she was three months old and spent her childhood wanting to speak the language of the country she had left behind.

“It was really tough. We were told that we didn’t need our language. That left me traumatised and I ended up losing my language,” Tiresa explains.

A few decades later and Tiresa – now a fluent Sāmoan speaker who can also understand some Tongan, Arabic and speak Afrikaans – has not only reclaimed her language, but uses it every day in her work advocating for people and families in need of housing,  many of whom are Pasifika.

For two hours each day, Tiresa works at the Rowley Community Centre, a community centre in Ōtautahi. Word of Tiresa’s knowledge of Sāmoan and other languages has spread, and she now gets referrals from across the city.

“Now I’m in a role where I use my language 70 percent of the time. I liaise with the Ministry of Social Development and the Kāinga Ora housing support team on behalf of the people I work with,” she says.

Tiresa, who was born with cerebral palsy, has spent 15 years volunteering in her local community in Christchurch where she has lived since 1989. She’s done a huge amount of voluntary work, including being one of the founding members of the ‘Rowley Mamas’ – a group of Mums set up to support struggling families –  and serving as a member of FAGASA Christchurch, an organisation dedicated to nurturing the Sāmoan language, for 10 years.

She’s currently a member of the Christchurch South Community Patrol and one of the project leads behind the Pasifika Mātua Olympics event being held in September.

Tiresa volunteered alongside her different paid jobs, before her health started to deteriorate. That’s when her current role came along.

“I love this community and I’ve lived most of my life in a Kāinga Ora home. I had to leave previous jobs because of my health, but after a while I was missing the community work and I wanted to be more involved – so I started coming in here [Rowley Community Centre] and sitting in the lounge talking to others offering support. Then I was asked if I wanted to work here. That was four years ago,” Tiresa says.

Tiresa has recently moved into an accessible Kāinga Ora home with her Mum and son, and it has meant the world to the family. “With my cerebral palsy, I’m losing my mobility and I get around on a mobility scooter outside. When we found out we were moving into an accessible home, my Mum just broke down as she’s wanted this for me,” she says.

The home includes features designed to make life easier for Tiresa, such as wider doors, lower light switches and an outdoor plug so she can charge her mobility scooter outside.

Tiresa says she enjoys helping others because she knows what it’s like to struggle, but also to have someone in your corner.

“I’ve used this experience when I’m working with other people. Living with cerebral palsy, my Mum has been my strongest advocate all my life. She’s a Queen and she’s kept us above water. I am where I am because of her.” 

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

The homes Gisborne include five homes that have been built by trade academies and seven more homes for Manuka Street, Elgin.

Homes in Konini Street, Grafton Road and Mary Street have come from the Iconiq Building Academy based at Gisborne Airport. Homes in De Costa Avenue and another one in Grafton Road have come from the Massey High School Building Academy in Auckland.

The homes are all warm, dry, healthy homes built to New Zealand Green Building Council 6 Homestar standards. Site works, including landscaping and connection to services, are complete and the homes are ready for whānau to move in.

The final seven of 14 new homes are now complete in Manuka Street, Gisborne.  Building started in May last year after four old homes were removed to make better use of the large sections they were on. Whānau started moving into the first seven homes in May this year.

Some of the 14 new homes have been matched to whānau most in need on the Ministry of Social Developments housing waiting list. As at March 2023, there are 582 applicants on the list in Tairāwhiti. This translates to whānau who are sleeping in cars, garages, motels and overcrowded homes.

The difference these new whare will make for whānau was made clear as an infectious smile lit up Morehu (Beau’s) face, when he entered his new, two-bedroom home for the first time.

Beau is moving into one of the two fully accessible homes in the Manuka Street development.

The unit he has been living in became unsuitable due to his increasing health issues. There were steps at the front and back doors and the shower was situated over the bathtub. This has meant Beau has had to rely on extra services, and other people’s help, to negotiate these two things.

Most of his working life Beau worked on large coastal stations, mainly with sheep and cattle. In 2017 Beau was forced to move into town from his home town of Waipiro Bay. Since then, mobility and retaining independence have been significant challenges for him. However, perseverance, his persistent nature and whanau support, have helped to him pull through.

Fortunately for Beau, his neighbour for the past seven years was always there to help.  “I am ever so indebted to her for her kindness and aroha, also, to whanau, friends and health professionals,” says Beau.

As the sun shone into the new, warm and comfortable house with ramps at both entrances, a wet room style shower, laundry and toilet with accessible doorways, it was clear that life is going to get better for Beau and his whānau.

“I am pleased to be living in Elgin because of its location, being close to the hospital, not too far from the airport and just a walking distance to the Olympic Pools and Waikanae Beach.”

“The new home has a battery charging station and access for a mobility scooter. Shopping will be easier, and the big difference is, I will not need to rely on anyone else to get my groceries.”

More information

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

Housing Minister Hon Dr Megan Woods opened the homes today, alongside Te Arawa and Ngāti Whakaue, delivering on the Government’s housing plan and commitments in the Rotorua Housing Accord to build a better housing future for whānau in the city.

Also at the event were representatives of Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue and Rotorua Lakes Council.

The single storey two, three and four-bedrooom homes have been built offsite and completed at pace, in around 18 months from when the build ready subdivision was bought.

Most of those who will move in are expected to be families and come from emergency and transitional housing.

Darren Toy, Bay of Plenty Regional Director, says it is rewarding to see the new homes looking great and ready for people to move into.

“These are much needed new homes for Rotorua, and whānau who will be moving into them are excited to start their new lives in these warm, dry and safe whare.

“These homes have been delivered more quickly through the innovative use of offsite manufacturing, and been built by our build partner BuiltSmart and had onsite work completed by Maxion.

“I look forward to whānau settling in, their tamariki going to school, and the wider community welcoming their new neighbours as they start a new chapter of their lives.”

The homes are high quality low maintenance fully insulated 6 Homestar homes, with carpets, curtains, double glazing, off-street parking and fenced private section.

The built homes were transported to the site overnight from the BuiltSmart factory in Huntly, and then connected to services and had porches, decks, parking pads, fencing and landscaping completed.

The development also has a shared green space, and Kāinga Ora will work with the new residents and the wider community around how they would like this to be used, for example seating and children’s play equipment.

More information

• Since November 2017 over 270 public and supported homes have been delivered in Rotorua by Kāinga Ora, including 25 earlier this year at the Ranolf Street and Malfroy Road development. Currently Kāinga Ora has around 500 homes in planning or under construction for the city.
• The Rotorua Housing Accord(external link) was established in December 2022 between the Government, Rotorua Lakes Council and Te Arawa Iwi to work together, with a focus on care, wellbeing and management of emergency housing, and increasing housing supply.
• See more public housing developments in the Bay of Plenty
• Read more about off-site manufacturing

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

The 200 public housing customers that will live within Te Mātāwai, along with 50 Kāinga Ora customers living next door, will get access to around-the-clock, on-site support services. They will also have access to shared communal spaces that will provide opportunities to connect with neighbours, helping to foster a sense of community and belonging.

“The public housing homes at Te Mātāwai will provide a stable home to people from many different walks of life, creating a diverse and mixed community,’’ says Kāinga Ora Regional Director Central and East Auckland, John Tubberty.

“It is also a place where a number of people who require a higher level of support to be able to live well, can get a warm, dry and safe place to call home and access to support, when they need it, to help improve their wellbeing.’’

Te Mātāwai will also have 76 homes available for rent for the wider rental market happening as part of a one-off mixed tenure pilot to help create a more diverse and mixed community. Initially the Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) will also lease 21 of these homes to provide housing for those impacted by the Auckland floods.

“What is also extra special is that the first customers moving into Te Mātāwai this week used to live in the old building at Greys Avenue. These customers have chosen to return and it’s great to be able to welcome them back”.

“We also recently invited neighbours to have a look around Te Mātāwai and more than 100 locals came along. We received some very positive feedback on the thoughtful design, support services and community spaces. Neighbours were also united in their support for this innovative approach to housing and wellbeing”, Mr Tubberty said.

“With customers now moving in, our focus is on getting settled in and making this a great place to live for everyone”.

More information about Te Mātāwai

• At the Te Mātāwai complex, there are 3 tower blocks of between 9 and 13 storeys high.
• At the beginning of the project Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei also gifted an overarching narrative for the site which was used as a base to design the building and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei designers also worked alongside the construction design team to input into the design ensuring the design followed Te Aranga design and bought the narrative alive. Read more about the narrative.
• Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei also recently gifted the name of the complex  – Te Mātāwai and gifted the names for the three tower blocks that make up Te Mātāwai – Waitapu, Waiora and Wainui. Read about the dawn blessing for Te Mātāwai
• All 276 homes are built to Homestar 7 standard, meaning they will be warmer, healthier and more energy efficient for customers and their whanau.
• About 60% of the units are also either accessible or universally designed and have been recognised with Lifemark ratings of 3 or 4.
• As well as the common accessibility features such as level access, wide doors and shower rooms, a number of the units have additional features such as benches that are able to be raised and lowered, side opening ovens and lower shelving to allow people in wheelchairs to live independently.

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

Construction of the new three-storey public housing complex on Riccarton Road began in June 2022 and took a year to complete.

Liz Krause, Regional Director Canterbury, says customers living in the new one-bedroom units will benefit from the first Allume SolShare unit system to be installed in New Zealand. This is a world-first technology that will take electricity generated by solar panels on the complex’s roof and share it equally among everyone living in the complex.

“This technology monitors when a resident is using energy and will direct solar power to their unit to reduce electricity bills as much as possible,” she says.

“This can increase the amount of solar used in the building by up to 50%, meaning there’s less reliance on expensive grid power, and higher savings for residents. We’re expecting this system to reduce customers’ power bills by around $350-$400 per year.”

The complex also includes a heat recovery system, which will help to reduce heatpump costs in each unit, and has an 8-Homestar rating, which means it has been built to be warmer, healthier and more energy efficient.

Liz says this development will also provide a boost to accessible housing stock in Christchurch. It is the first high-density Full Universal Design complex Kāinga Ora has built in the city. This means the units are more accessible, with features such as wider doors and level entryways, and can be made more accessible in the future if needed.

Five of the new units on Riccarton Road also have another room for a carer, and two have additional accessibility features such as a larger wet area shower and a lowered bench in the kitchen. All the units are serviced by a lift.

Residents will also enjoy living in a well-connected area of the city, Liz says. “We’re aiming to provide more homes for people in need in areas such as Riccarton that are close to transport routes, shops and other amenities.  By building up, more people can enjoy living in a prime location that connects easily to all the services they may need,” she says.

Greta Bond, Age Concern Canterbury Chief Executive, says the complex is a “game changer” for Christchurch people on low incomes who need accessible housing.

“We often find that people need accessible housing but don’t necessarily need to be in residential care. It’s beautifully designed, warm, very accessible, high-quality housing in a great location….it’s just delightful,” she says.