Thirteen families and individuals are about to move into a new Kāinga Ora development in Richmond.
The two-storied complex on the corner of Gladstone Rd and Waverley St was bought from developers after entering an agreement last year to purchase the homes upon completion. Yesterday the development was blessed by local iwi before Kāinga Ora opened the doors to neighbours to view before residents moved in.
Kāinga Ora’s regional director for Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Julia Campbell says the 12 two-bedroom and one three-bedroom homes are particularly needed as 66 percent of those people on the social housing register are looking for one or two-bedroom homes.
She admits the denser-style of the development does not suit everyone and a specialist Kāinga Ora placements team has been interviewing potential tenants from the housing register who are waiting for homes and those in transitional housing.
She says there is a desperate need for more social housing in the region with 141 applicants on the list for public housing in Tasman and close to 900 throughout Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough and West Coast.
Kāinga Ora has 37 more homes in the pipeline for Tasman that it will deliver over the next three years, with some already being worked on and others yet to be started, she says.
