Waipā to get 30 pensioner houses
Waipā ratepayers have approved council selling a block of land to Kāinga Ora for a quicker solution to pensioner housing needs.
The council will sell 1.4ha of the 3.7ha of land tagged for affordable housing, including for older people, to the Crown agency.
The land will be used to develop about 30 single-storey, one or two-bedroom homes for those 55 years and over.
The decision to sell a portion of land at 1262 Cambridge Rd, Te Awamutu, follows a community consultation that took place over the last month.
Of the 65 submissions received, 69% favoured or partially supported the sale and 31% were against it.
Mayor Susan O’Regan said there was a dire shortage of affordable housing in the district and the sale was a step in the right direction.
At the council meeting on Tuesday, Councillor Clare St Pierre expressed concern about the behaviour and conducts in the developments once tenanted.
Councillor Roger Gordon also agreed that while there was a need for affordable housing for the elderly, the social housing aspect had proven to be challenging in other districts.
‘‘Anti-social behaviour could occur if other Kāinga Ora developments are considered.’’
Councillor Lou Brown said people in the existing Kāinga Ora housing in Waipā were part of the community, and they were not bringing unwanted behaviour, but were grateful for a roof over their heads.
Deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk said the intent of the land purchase in 2017, when the housing crisis wasn’t as prominent as it is now, was to provide affordable housing for pensioners.
She suggested Kāinga Ora prioritise people with strong family relations in Waipā, similar to the council’s current pensioner housing system.
Property projects specialist Andrew Don said that while the Crown agency could not contractually declare Waipā residents a priority, pensioners on the housing register wanting to stay in the district would be considered first.
Kāinga Ora will buy the 1.4ha of the land at current market value, $2,682,500. Council bought the 3.7ha block in Te Awamutu in 2017 for $690,000.
Council deputy chief executive Ken Morris called it a good capital gain for ratepayer.
Kāinga Ora was committed to completing the development in two years and the housing could be ready as early as next year, a clause in the agreement said.