Emergency housing build moves apace   11 Nov 2016

New Zealand Government

Hon Paula Bennett

Minister for Social Housing

11 November 2016
Emergency housing build moves apace

Building is moving ahead rapidly at a site in Auckland where more than 40 families at any one time will be housed by early next year, Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett says.

Mrs Bennett visited the site at Luke St, Otahuhu, this morning where she met some of the people working on the build and was shown the techniques that have made construction so quick.

“I knew this was going to be a fast build but I was still impressed by the rapid transformation of the site. In September, when I announced plans for the development on the Ministry of Education site for emergency and transitional housing for families, it was bare land. Today I saw houses with roofs on, and windows arriving to be installed,” Mrs Bennett says.

“This development at Luke St is an example of the great strides we are making in our comprehensive housing plan, from emergency housing right through to permanent social housing. The development is one of those being funded by the more than $300 million for emergency housing I announced this week and our cross-agency team is searching for even more sites to build similar developments.

“With these developments, modular housing, leases, motels and house purchases we are planning, together with the experience and expertise of providers who will manage these properties and offer support services, we will make a real difference in the lives of those people who struggle with housing.

“We will equip them with the skills, resources and confidence to move into more permanent homes, knowing that they are well supported by the Ministry of Social Development, Housing New Zealand and the great people who work in community housing provision,” Mrs Bennett says.

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

Mrs Bennett announced on Monday a boost of more than $300 million for up to an extra 1400 emergency places at any one time, 600 in Auckland and the remaining 800 places in areas of high demand around the country. That is on top of the more than 800 places announced earlier this year.

The $303.6 million package, over this financial year and the next four, is made up of:

• $120 million in capital funding to build, buy or lease properties suitable for emergency housing. $100 million of this will be as a loan to HNZ.

• $71 million in rental subsidies.

• $102 million for providers to support, stabilise and help tenants into longer-term housing

• $10.4 million for more dedicated frontline MSD staff to work with people who need emergency housing or are on the social housing register

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