The quantity of Kāinga Ora homes in Whakatāne is increasing, with the recent relocation of 10 houses to sections on Arawa Road and Cutler Crescent.

The pre-manufactured houses were moved to the sites previously occupied by five Kāinga Ora homes, which were said to be older and no longer fit for purpose.

Removing older state houses that were often occupying large sections allowed for better use of the land to provide more housing, Kāinga Ora Bay of Plenty regional director Darren Toy, pictured, said.

“There is a strong demand for more social housing in Whakatāne.”

The houses previously on sections at the corner of Cutler Crescent and Arawa Road were demolished, and the tenants were relocated to other Kāinga Ora houses, he said.

The 10 new houses, built by Exeter Homes in Rotorua, were moved to the sites in November and December.

Mr Toy said transporting the already built houses to site, instead of building new, cut down the construction time significantly.

“In this case, we are looking at a four-to-five-month turnaround from arrival on site of the 10 houses to their expected completion.”

Since arriving on site, the houses have been placed on foundations and are being connected to services.

Paths, fencing and landscaping will also be added, and each house will have allocated off-street parking.

With the houses comprising multiple two- and three-bedroom configurations, and a single four-bedroom home, Mr Toy said they would be suitable for whānau of varying sizes.

The houses are expected to be completed in April once consents are received, with tenants to move in immediately after completion.

“We will identify suitable applicants from the MSD housing register, who are currently living in emergency, transitional and other temporary housing,” Mr Toy said.

“It’s good to see the progress being made with these houses, and whānau in Whakatāne most in need of warm, dry homes will be looking forward to their completion in the next few months.”

National mission to increase housing

Kāinga Ora has announced a goal to add 2650 new homes to the state housing stock, in addition to renewing almost 3000 homes by next July.

Board chairman Simon Moutter said many of New Zealand’s state houses were old and getting to the end of their lives.

“It is important that we invest in renewing these homes so we can continue the legacy of providing good quality state housing.”

The announcement comes as Kāinga Ora shared its decision this week to refocus on its core mission of providing and managing quality social housing for New Zealanders in need.

“Our focus as a key contributor to New Zealand’s social housing eco-system is on providing safe, warm, dry homes for those in need and acting as a good, supportive landlord to tenants and communities, while ensuring the agency’s long-term financial sustainability,” Mr Moutter said.

“Our new plan for Kāinga Ora, which the Government has approved, outlines a clear path forward for the agency as a responsible social housing landlord who is fair but firm, and invests in the state housing stock in a financially sustainable way.”

Key elements of the plan include Kāinga Ora narrowing its focus on providing and managing social housing in a financially sustainable way.

Changes are being made to tenancy management and Mr Moutter said more use was being made of the Residential Tenancies Act to ensure better outcomes for both tenants and communities.

“A key part of this will be ensuring that tenants are in the right type of home at the right time, with the right support in place.”

Kāinga Ora is looking to reduce build costs of new homes so they are more in line with the market, and their maintenance strategies are changing to ensure existing homes are being looked after while also investing in the progressive renewal of older homes.