More housing on its way for vulnerable families   30 Sep 2016

New Zealand Government


Hon Paula Bennett
Minister for Social Housing

30 September 2016 Media Statement
More housing on its way for vulnerable families

Vacant Crown land in Auckland will be turned into a 51-home development to provide transitional housing for families before they move into permanent accommodation, Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett has announced.

The 1.6ha site at Luke St, Otahuhu, has been earmarked by its owner the Ministry of Education for a future school, but in the meantime will be developed into 27 two-bedroom, seven three-bedroom and 17 four-bedroom homes for families on the social housing register.

Mrs Bennett, who made the announcement during her keynote speech to the National Maori Housing Conference in Tauranga this morning, says the development is just one of many new developments to come as the Government ramps up the housing supply in Auckland.

“The Ministry of Education will not be using this site for several years so has leased it to Housing New Zealand. This is an excellent use of the Crown’s land resources in Auckland to address the need for more emergency and temporary housing for vulnerable families,” Mrs Bennett says.

“The resource consent was lodged this week and work will begin shortly on a fast ‘stick-build’ – that is, traditional building. But the homes will be built so that they can be easily moved later. We expect that tenants will be able to move in by the end of February next year. A community provider will be contracted to manage the site and offer wraparound services to tenants.

“This development is just one part of our Government’s comprehensive housing plan. Our focus is on delivering safe, warm, permanent housing but we are responding to the need for short-term accommodation for people in unexpected, difficult circumstances.

“Over the coming months, we will deliver even more emergency and medium-term housing places over and above the more than 3000 places a year funded in the Budget.”


Fact sheet

Who is involved?
This is a joined-up Government approach. The Ministry of Social Development leads the emergency housing programme and is providing the funding and managing the service. HNZ is leading the construction and the Ministry of Education is providing the land.

How much will this cost?
The build will be value for money. However, the construction cost is commercially sensitive.

Who will build the houses?
HNZ will build the transitional houses using its panel of contractors and suppliers. It has significant experience in delivering new, modern and good quality homes.

Why has this site been chosen?
The site is perfect for this development. It’s Crown land, owned by MoE but currently vacant. It has appropriate zoning, has infrastructure and services on site and is close to schools, retail and transport networks.

Will there be disruption to the local community?
The site is bare land and on the other side of the road from existing residential homes. It’s bounded on one side by an estuary and the other side by a light industrial area. Access to the site is good so there should be no significant disruption during the construction phase.

What will the houses look like?
The houses will be built to the NZ Building Code and will be in keeping with the area’s existing urban design. They will be modern, of good quality, double glazed, with plenty of green spaces and car parking.

Will you consult with the community?
We’ll speak with local residents, stakeholders and other members of the community and its representatives about the plans for the site, and we’ll continue to keep them updated.

How long will the houses remain on this site?
They will remain there for at least seven years. We will then move them to a more permanent site for future families in need.

Why don’t you use the land for permanent, long-term housing?
In the future, a school may be built on this land to allow for future growth and demand in the area.

Will these be HNZ tenants?
No, tenancy management will be done by an emergency housing provider who will employ an on-site manager to help support tenants.
The provider will be contracted by MSD and is likely to be a community housing provider or an experienced non-governmental organisation. More details will be provided once a provider is selected.
The families living there will be on MSD’s social housing register or those with the most urgent need for transitional housing.

How long will the tenants stay?
The families will live in the homes while they find longer-term or permanent housing. We anticipate that each family will stay on average for 12 weeks, and a maximum of 24 weeks. MSD and the tenancy manager will work with the tenants to help them into longer-term or permanent accommodation.


ends

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