Category: New Zealand Government

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.”