Category: Kainga Ora

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

Since 2022, Dave, a quality specialist for Kāinga Ora contractor BGIS, and his workmates, have spent Canterbury Anniversary weekend making toys from recycled wood and painting them in a variety of bright colours.

The toys are then delivered in time for Christmas to tamariki living in Kāinga Ora homes across Canterbury, or who are connected to charitable organisations such as a Christchurch foodbank or Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou.

“Last year we made about 150 toys at Christmas, including 10 rocking horses,” Dave explains. “It’s a really good team bonding thing.”

Dave is one of thousands of skilled people around the country helping to keep Kāinga Ora homes warm, dry and safe for the individuals and whānau living in them. Kāinga Ora maintenance partners complete more than half a million maintenance jobs a year – roughly one every minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In Dave’s spare time from his busy job, as well as making toys, the grandfather of six often helps out people in his community. Dave has a large vegetable garden and fruit trees on his property, and sometimes drops off vegetables to people and families in need.

And the self-confessed ‘magpie’, who collects second hand tools, has also donated tools to Kāinga Ora customers who need them so that they can fix their own bicycles, or skateboards. Dave also enjoys giving stone carving, mosaic and pottery lessons for people living in a Kāinga Ora community group housing property.

Dave says he is inspired to help others because he didn’t grow up with much.

His love of creating and fixing things was passed on to him by his grandfather, a blacksmith. “My grandfather always said, if it was made by man, it can be fixed.”

Dave’s manager Jackie describes him as a “good Kiwi, big hearted bloke.”

“He doesn’t do any of this for the recognition…he’s one of the world’s good guys.” 

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

Working as a truck driver for years, Jamie spent his life on the road, living mainly in the back of his truck, in motels and at depot parking. When the company made him redundant, he not only lost his job but also his accommodation.

Because of his circumstances, Jamie ended up living in emergency housing for a short period, where he started to tackle some of the issues he was dealing with.

“Because I wasn’t working, I felt it was the right time for me to prioritise my life regarding my health and finances. I started seeing a Budget advisor and returned to my doctors. Slowly, I started releasing all my stresses.”

In that same period, Kāinga Ora offered him a home in Palmerston North, which he describes as a “blessing in the skies”.

“I am 60 years old now and I finally got what I always wanted: a stable home. That really gave me something to work on and I built my life around that stable pillar. It is such a special feeling that if anything else fails in my life, I still have a roof over my head.”

Now, he works as a bus driver driving around Palmerston North. “I meet many different people from different backgrounds. I don’t have to meet deadlines or be away from home for long. And it really makes my day when people thank me when they hop off the bus!”

Jamie’s new home not only changed his life for the better, it’s also empowering him to achieve great things for his family. His autistic daughter can now stay with him every second weekend.

“I told Kāinga Ora that I was looking for a home to care for my autistic daughter, who has high support needs. It is absolutely wonderful that she can come to me now on a regular basis, which means I am able to relieve her other caregiver.”

In addition, Jamie says the stability of the home has allowed his son to make decisions about his future. He decided to apply for a course to get into fisheries and is able to stay with Jamie temporary until he is qualified to work on a fishing boat.

“Without a place to put down roots, I would never have been able to put them both under my wing.”

Jamie says he very grateful to Kāinga Ora and others who have helped make his life what it is today and is determined to share some of his good fortune with others.

“I work at nighttime so I can dedicate my days to looking after my daughter and free up time to do voluntary work. I will be starting as a volunteer at the Foodbank in the next few weeks and I am looking for other opportunities to support the community.”

“A place to call home really makes all the difference. I’m excited about what the future holds for me and my whānau.”

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

The father and son duo were living in the North Island when they made the bold decision to hop in their car and drive almost the entire length of the country in search of a better life in Invercargill.

“We weren’t happy where we were and wanted a new beginning, to start fresh. So, we pretty much packed up all of our stuff into the car and drove down. It was a massive adventure,” Rob says.

It was hard when they first arrived in Invercargill. They had very little money, no work and ended up in emergency housing.

“I knew I needed to find stable work and get us out of there,’’ says Rob.

It was after a visit to the Ministry of Social Development’s office that Rob made a spur of the moment decision to knock on the door of the neighbouring business to see if they had any work.

The neighbouring business turned out to be local charity Koha Kai, who provide training and employment for the disability community. They also provide lunches in schools across Southland and a low-cost meal delivery service throughout the country.

Chief executive Janice Lee says Rob made an instant impression on the team.

“Rob came in unannounced. We found out he had a bit of a green thumb and he’s passionate about helping people, so what better place for him to work than our garden tunnel houses,’’ she says.

Koha Kai offered him a part-time job and Rob now works for them, helping them to grow the vegies which they use in the meals they prepare.

“He’s personable, he’s always smiling and singing and he’s just a great person to have around,’’ says Janice.

Around the same time, Rob and his son were offered a new Kainga Ora home in Appleby, Invercargill. Having both a stable home and a regular income have been life-changing for Rob and Tamawhero.

“I’m really enjoying school down here. There’s heaps of activities and sports to get involved in and it makes you want to turn up every day, which wasn’t the case for me up North,” Tamawhero says.

“His grades have picked up as well,” Rob says.

“We were really lucky to get this place. It’s been a big lifesaver for us and given us the fresh start we were after. We appreciate everything we have here now, every day is a blessing.” 

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

A complex at Riccarton Road, Christchurch, won the overall award in the social and affordable housing category, while developments in Lower Hutt, Māngere and Central Auckland all achieved Excellence, and a development in Whangārei received a Merit.

Hosted by the Property Council of New Zealand, the prestigious awards celebrate excellence in design and innovation in the built environment.

Patrick Dougherty, General Manager for Construction and Innovation says, “We’re proud of our work and our partnerships with the private sector. Together, we have delivered thousands of homes for so many kiwis in need of a warm, dry and safe living environment.

“Our teams work hard to deliver quality new homes throughout New Zealand – what we build needs to be adapted to a range of lifetime needs and be maintained as a government asset for over 70 years. I’m super proud of all our teams.

“We know the difference we are making in the work we do every day, but it’s always special for our mahi to be recognised and celebrated at national awards.”

Kāinga Ora manages around 74,000 homes throughout New Zealand – these are homes to approximately 190,000 New Zealanders in need, including nearly 70,000 children. By the end of June 2024, nearly 15,000 new state homes will have been built to current building code requirements and modern living lifestyles since Kāinga Ora was established in 2019.  

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

A partnership with Kāinga Ora is strengthening iwi aspirations to provide much-needed housing at Aotearoa’s southern-most marae.

Te Rūnaka o Awarua, a Ngāi Tahu hapū based at Te Rau Aroha Marae in Motupōhue (Bluff), has set itself the goal of delivering more affordable housing for its community as home ownership rates slow and rent prices increase.

The number of Māori who call Motupōhue home has also grown in recent years to almost half the area’s 1,800-person population. Nationally, Māori make up 16.5%.

“We need to be able to provide for our people so that they can remain here in a place that is safe and warm and creates opportunities for our people,” says Corey Bragg, Project Manager at Te Rūnaka o Awarua.

Already, the marae operates as a hub for its community, with its main building used for community events and as a Civil Defence base during emergencies. The Rūnaka also runs an early childhood centre, Te Rourou Whakatipuranga o Awarua, and in 2022 opened six kaumātua units.

Recently, the Invercargill City Council made a decision to review its land holdings, including a block directly next to the marae. The Rūnaka saw this as an opportunity to explore its aspirations further, but lacked the technical expertise to develop a proposal for acquiring the land.

However, through existing relationships built with Te Kurutao, the Māori Operations Group at Kāinga Ora, the Rūnaka was able to access the support it needed.

“Te Kurutao have taken a lot of time to build good, trusting relationships with local Māori,” says Paki Maaka, Kāinga Ora Principal Urban Designer.

“So our role now is to look at the potential for what that acquisition of land – and eventually what that development – would offer back, not just to Māori but to the whole community.”

While it will not fund the acquisition of the whenua, Kāinga Ora has an important role in supporting Māori aspirations, helping to build capability and supporting whānau wellbeing.

For Awarua, that meant working with Kāinga Ora town planners, civil engineering and construction experts, urban designers and landscape architects to develop a proposal to present to Council.

“It’s all about bringing those experts together to get a bit of an idea of the types of plans we could put together to develop that site for housing,” says Kahurangi Tapsell, a town planner and Principal Advisor – Te Kurutao at Kāinga Ora.

“So the key urgency for now is to get something in place, so that we can complete a proposal to go to council to try and get ownership of the land for the Rūnaka.”

Work to develop the proposal is advancing, and Te Rūnaka o Awarua Executive Member Pania Coote says she has been “overwhelmed” by the support and expertise provided by Kāinga Ora.

“Kāinga Ora have provided a huge amount of resource to support the development … or even putting our vision on paper so that we can actually go out and explore funding opportunities,” she says.

For Corey, the partnership with Kāinga Ora has meant more than support and access to resources.

“Most importantly, they’ve helped us to pull together and work through our vision, work through our aspirations around housing,” he says.

“That gives us that next step up in just making sure that we head in the right direction.” 

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

In total there will be 236 homes spread over five buildings. The majority of the homes in the development have been designed with older customers in mind.

Regional Director for Auckland North and West Taina Jones says the homes for older people include adaptable design for people with deafness or hearing needs, intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental health disabilities, learning disabilities or vision loss.

A large community room will provide opportunities for residents to socialise and undertake activities. This includes a lounge room and private meeting rooms. There will also be smaller community spaces in the other buildings, as well as shared gardens and seating areas.

“The majority of the homes in this new development have been carefully designed to cater for a diverse range of customers and have a mix of special features to meet their needs, including features such as wider internal corridors, bench seats and multiple ramps throughout the building. Within the complex we have 54 1.5-bedroom homes so carers can stay overnight if needed.”

“The homes are serviced by lifts that are large enough to accommodate wheelchairs and mobility scooters, and there’s space to park mobility scooters outside individual units, or in the development grounds.”

Communal spaces including multi-purpose resident lounges and community room where customers can come together and connect are a key part of the development. Community gardens where customers can grow flowers, herbs and vegetables will be added once construction of the fifth and final building in the development is completed.

The fifth building is still under construction, but it should be finished by the end of the year – it will provide an additional 30 homes for individuals and small families.

“Within the Whau Local Board area, there were 477 people waiting for a home in March this year, so we are also pleased to be well-placed in addressing this need for the region. These people may be families with children already in local schools, or they may have whānau connections to the area.”

On Saturday 15 June a community open day was held to allow locals to view the new homes and learn about the development ahead of customers moving in. Ms Jones says moving customers into a large-scale development requires a careful and staged approach, so the homes will not all be tenanted immediately.

“Moving people in gradually prevents disruption caused by a large number of vehicles, people and goods being moved in at one time, affecting those already living in the area. Staged placement also supports the building of neighbour relationships and a sense of community in multi-storey complexes,’’ she explains. With construction continuing the fifth building until November, it’s equally important we stage occupancy for the benefit of the whole community.”

The first customers will start moving in from the week beginning 17 June, with the aim of having all the homes tenanted by early 2025.

“We’re really looking forward to welcoming customers into their new homes and to supporting them as they settle in and become part of the community,’’ Ms Jones says. 

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

The three two-bedroom homes in Kawai Street were built on NMIT’s Richmond campus by around 30 carpentry students undertaking the NZ Certificate in Construction and NMIT-managed carpentry apprentices, under the guidance of trade-qualified tutors.

The homes were transported to the Kawai Street site earlier this year, where they were fitted out inside, and landscaping was completed.

Julia Campbell, Regional Director Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast, says the aim of the Kāinga Ora partnership with NMIT is to increase housing supply in the Nelson Tasman region, and to provide enhanced learning opportunities for students entering the construction industry.

“The students have the chance to gain real world experience while building houses for people in need of a warm and dry home,” Ms Campbell says.

The homes, which have replaced one older Kāinga Ora home, were built to Kāinga Ora specifications and Kāinga Ora project managers visited the NMIT site regularly during the build process.

NMIT Executive Director Olivia Hall says the partnership has been beneficial to ākonga (learners) at NMIT, helping to create pathways into the building industry.

“Through this experience, our learners are equipped with the skills they need to hit the ground running when they enter the workforce. We pride ourselves on producing graduates who are industry-ready and this is a great example of that. It’s wonderful to be part of this initiative, which will also benefit local families and the wider community.”

Ms Campbell says residents are expected to move into the new homes in the coming weeks. “Our Kāinga Ora placement team is currently working to place people into the new homes. We’re really looking forward to giving people the keys to the doors.”

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

Kāinga Ora bought the new homes from developer, Soho Group, for use as social housing.

Graeme Broderick, Regional Director Taranaki/Whanganui/Manawatu, says the new homes will help meet the demand for social housing in New Plymouth, in line with the Public Housing Plan.

“We know the positive impact these homes will have on the people and smaller families matched to them and we’re excited to hand over the keys. The central location means the homes are close to everything our customers need in their day-to-day lives, such as shops, schools and recreational facilities.

“The community will play a big part in helping people settle into these new homes. We hope that local residents welcome our customers in the same way they would welcome any other person or family moving into a neighbourhood.’’

Mr Broderick says he is delighted the community space in the complex can be used by those living in the homes, as well as the wider community. The community space will be managed by the Taranaki YMCA.

“To enable vibrant community spaces, we must partner with other organisations. We will be engaging with our customers and community on the wellbeing and social outcomes they want to see unlocked in this new community space,” says Mr Broderick.

The Taranaki YMCA CEO Joanne Dusterhoft adds: “The shared community space will be used for various activities and programs to foster community engagement between Kāinga Ora customers and the inner-city community. Through the Taranaki YMCA’s network of other community organisations services, Kāinga Ora customers will also have access to a wide range of other resources to support their personal and professional development.”

“We look forward to building a stronger, more resilient community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive through this partnership.”

Ben Noone, Head of Project Delivery at Soho Group, says Soho is very proud of the Leach Street development, from site selection and the proximity to the heart of the city to the high-quality design of the building and landscaping features.

“Soho, along with local tradespeople, has delivered well-positioned, functional, warm, dry and comfortable homes for local whānau. Working alongside our contractors and supporting the local community and economy throughout the development was great. There were up to 60 people on-site at any given point, made up of around 30 local businesses.”

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

The church will be removed and ideally some parts of the church building, including the stained-glass windows, will be reused by people in the Hastings community.

The Presbyterian Church Property Trustees decided to sell the church site after the St Marks congregation dissolved three years ago. The Church is a 1960s Lockwood type building and is in poor condition.

St Andrews, Hastings has been looking after the building facilities. They, along with the Presbyterian Church, were keen to see the large, well-connected site used to house Hastings people in need.

The church knows from working with the community that there is a strong demand for social housing, says Reverend Jill McDonald.

“This is based on government data and anecdotal evidence from our congregation. We want to see homes built that that work well for the community and for the people and whānau who will call the new houses ‘home’.”

“Our community needs to make available safe and stable homes for those who do not have an appropriate place to live. Too many of our people are spending the cold winter months living in cars, tents, garages, and overcrowded homes.”

“God has a particular love for people who are struggling and longs for the flourishing of all people. We know that housing is key to that happening. That is why the church wanted to see this unused land repurposed for social housing.”

Removal of the church building and outbuildings will begin from 10 June, 2024.

Anyone interested in the stained glass windows or other parts of the church should contact Stefan Christie at Central Demolition stefan@centraldemolition.co.nz 

Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

The church will be removed and ideally some parts of the church building, including the stained-glass windows, will be reused by people in the Hastings community.

The Presbyterian Church Property Trustees decided to sell the church site after the St Marks congregation dissolved three years ago. The Church is a 1960s Lockwood type building and is in poor condition.

St Andrews, Hastings has been looking after the building facilities. They, along with the Presbyterian Church, were keen to see the large, well-connected site used to house Hastings people in need.

The church knows from working with the community that there is a strong demand for social housing, says Reverend Jill McDonald.

“This is based on government data and anecdotal evidence from our congregation. We want to see homes built that that work well for the community and for the people and whānau who will call the new houses ‘home’.”

“Our community needs to make available safe and stable homes for those who do not have an appropriate place to live. Too many of our people are spending the cold winter months living in cars, tents, garages, and overcrowded homes.”

“God has a particular love for people who are struggling and longs for the flourishing of all people. We know that housing is key to that happening. That is why the church wanted to see this unused land repurposed for social housing.”

Removal of the church building and outbuildings will begin from 10 June, 2024.

Anyone interested in the stained glass windows or other parts of the church should contact Stefan Christie at Central Demolition stefan@centraldemolition.co.nz