More public housing: Govt plan for Levin
Up to 320 housing places planned for Central region — including Horowhenua, Palmerston North, Whanganui
TThe Public Housing Plan provides for between 210 and 320 extra public housing places in the Central region over the next four years.
he Government last week launched a public housing plan, which should increase the overall public housing stock by 18,000 by June 2024. Regional centres are among priority areas for the coming years.
Palmerston North and Whanganui are marked as priority areas because of present house deprivation there. They are part of Kainga Ora’s Central region which the document said has a high proportion of Maori housing needs.
It also said work is under way to bring on supply to other areas including Levin, without elaborating and no one seems to know more.
When asked about this one line in the Public Housing Plan, a Te Tuapapa Kura Kainga — Ministry of Housing and Urban Development spokesperson said: “New Zealanders need houses to be able to live healthy, prosperous lives. We need to build more public houses so people can move into them, and off the Housing Register, as quickly as possible.
“The Public Housing Plan provides for between 210 and 320 extra public housing places in the Central region over the next four years, and between 20 and 80 extra transitional housing places over the next two years. Plans for additional public and transitional housing in Horowhenua District are continuing to be developed for delivery over the next four years, which will include specific locations.
“In the coming months, the next step is for Te Tuapapa Kura Kainga — the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to work with Kainga Ora, community housing providers, iwi and Maori groups, and local authorities, to firm up who will deliver what and where. All of these providers will need to be involved to ensure successful delivery of the Public Housing Plan. Calculating the housing required in each region for the Public Housing Plan is not a perfect science. Taking a place-based approach recognises that every community has their own housing and urban development challenges and opportunities, and taking a ‘one-size fits all’ approach doesn’t work.”
Horowhenua District Council deputy chief executive Nicky Brady said the council is reviewing the Public Housing Plan to understand what the plans and future opportunities that are proposed mean for Horowhenua.
Plans are under way to renovate existing Kainga Ora housing stock in Levin as part of a nationwide upgrade programme worth $13.25m.
Four of the 177 housing it owns in the region are vacant, because one is undergoing short-term repair and three are having long-term maintenance work.
Ministry spokesperson
Ka¯inga Ora – Homes and Communities will spend around $13.25 million dollars this financial year across the Whanganui, Manawatu¯, Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne regions on exterior painting ($6.44m), fencing ($676,114), new roofing ($5.99m) and driveway safety improvements ($140,220), to its homes. These improvements are part of a series of planned programmes that will benefit customers and support regional businesses too.
“This work is already underway in these regions and just over 1097 customers can expect to have some or all of these improvements made to their home this financial year which ends on June 30.
‘‘These homes will have the exterior repainted, or get a brand new roof or boundary fence.
“Where there are young children under 5, the home will get a secure play area as part of our driveway safety programme.
”This planned work we already have underway in Whanganui, Manawatu¯ , Hawkes Bay and Gisborne will also provide additional work for trades already involved in some capacity on maintaining our homes in these regions,” Angela Pearce Ka¯inga Ora National Maintenance & Upgrade Manager said.
With the programme this year, Pearce said customers will also see things done differently.
Ka¯inga Ora began its new national maintenance contract from July 1, 2020. In addition to the usual contract terms and conditions, it also includes a focus on improved customer experience.
“We asked customers what they thought about the way we deliver maintenance and planned work in their home. The feedback we
Where there are young children under 5, the home will get a secure play area as part of our driveway safety programme.
received, is now an integral part of the way we deliver maintenance, repairs and planned work under this new contract.
“For customers having their home repainted, a new roof, fence or driveway safety improvements, 24 hours before our trade arrives, they receive confirmation of the appointment.
“Thirty minutes prior to arrival, customers receive a text from the trade to say they are 30 minutes away.
“Throughout the job customers also receive regular updates on progress and once the work is completed, receive an automated completion text.
“Using MyKaingaOra customers can log in online to check on progress. Maintenance Partner vehicles are cobranded with Ka¯inga Ora and Maintenance Partner branding so customers know it’s our people at the door”.
“These improvements we’ve made are all about our customers – providing them with a great customer experience, in addition to the dollar investment with these improvements to their home. It’s really important to
Ka¯inga Ora our homes not only meet our customer’s needs but our customers are also happy with the way we did the work in their home”, Pearce said.
Safekids Aotearoa Director Melissa Wilson also supports these improvements to make driveways at 90 Kainga Ora homes safer, for family / whanau with young children.
Wilson said evidence from child driveway-injury research is clear and indicates that fewer children will be injured in driveways when property and driveway design separates where children might play or walk from areas where vehicles are driven.
“Useful interventions include erecting a gated fence to prevent children accessing the driveway as well as the use of signage and convex mirrors to aid drivers in multi-unit complexes. With summer approaching that’s when families are spending more time outdoors, so we also encourage all homeowners and tenants to be extra careful around driveways.
“Know where your children are and that they are supervised before you get into your car and remember to always check for kids before you turn the key”.
Kainga Ora has 177 houses in Horowhenua: 10 one bedroom units, 95 two bedroom units, 65 three bedroom houses and 7 four bedroom houses. Four of these houses are vacant, one is undergoing short-term repair and three are undergoing long-term maintenance work.
Nationwide Kainga Ora has 66,715 houses of which 1593 are vacant. Of the latter 268 houses are ready to be let out again.