A new Kāinga Ora [KO] social housing development at 86 Kuripuni St in Masterton was officially opened yesterday.
The six units, which were built by TW Property Group [TWPG], are now in the process of being tenanted.
“I have been talking to my colleagues at Emerge [a health and social services charitable trust] and the Ministry of Social Development [MSD] to get these units tenanted,” KO regional placement manager Craig Thomson said.
“The units come unfurnished, but if applicants need things such as whiteware, bedding, and furniture, that can be arranged if they meet MSD’s requirements.”
The latest MSD figures show that 192 people across the region are on the social housing register.
Since KO returned to the region one and half years ago after a two decade absence, it has predominately been contracting local construction companies to manage its builds.
“The construction company will propose a site with a yield, we will work through that yield of houses and determine whether it fits our requirements,” KO senior acquisitions manager Tony Travis said.
“If the requirements match, we will then proceed with a more detailed design process for the kitchen, dining, living, bathrooms, and bedrooms.”
The design then goes to a KO panel to be endorsed, a business case regarding its financial feasibility is put together, a contract drawn up, and then construction starts.
TWPG chief executive Charles Kaka said that, while tight, the build was handed over on schedule and on budget, and the KO team was pleased with the final result.
KO has also recently completed builds on Oxford and High streets in Masterton and, prior to that, builds on Market, Michael and George streets, and Irons St North.
The total number of completed units in Masterton currently stands at 59.
KO projects on High St in Carterton, East St in Greytown, and Fitzherbert St in Featherston are due to be completed this year, while builds on Woodward St in Featherston and Makoura Rd in Masterton are in the early planning stages, and a site on Worksop Rd in Masterton is going through a consenting process.
Trust House, which also provides social housing in the region, has recently completed a six-unit build on Kuripuni St, and has a six-unit project on Ōpaki Rd under construction.
Social housing drags down home owners home prices a unwanted presence
Great stuff but it’s a pin prick in a huge issue with so much need – same across the country. If we had leadership (any) with some vision and serious intent we could import tens of thousands of super super cheap modular homes (eg: from China) that people could rent to buy the dwelling and lease a lot in a modular home park. $60k homes all movable. Permaculture landscaping with good social support structures (there’s lots of brilliant solutions we aren’t even touching yet) and wholla in 3 months hundreds of affordable homes
8% of people in the USA live in modular home parks
Yea well I have been on the social housing scheme high priority for nearly 8 years and still waiting . Because I am an elderly single person I get dropped for couples .
Thanks Kieran McAnulty.
Just hope that history doesn’t repeat and the Nats don’t sell them . Last time trust House got bargin basement prices saying that they were social housing providers and soon moved to Market Rates.
True Social housing is income related Rents.