Thirty-four people will be living in the new, fully furnished homes
An innovative housing partnership between the Hutt City Council and whānau service organisations has provided warm and dry homes for 19 families in Lower Hutt.
A blessing has been held as the whanau moved into their fully furnished homes in Taitā – an event Kura Moeahu, Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa chairperson, said marked a two-year journey to get the homes built in challenging times.
“The partnership between Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa, Kahungunu Whānau Services, Hutt City Council, and Urban Plus has succeeded in delivering 19 homes that 34 people will be living in. This is significant for our people, and we want to do more,” Moeahu told RNZ.
Mayor Campbell Barry said the tie-up acts on the council’s commitment to placing people and whānau at the centre of its own housing developments.
“Our city is facing significant challenges with homelessness and housing costs, and it’s projects like Takai Here Tāngata that will make a real difference for getting people and whānau out of housing stress and into permanent housing,” Barry said. “This demonstrates what we can achieve for our people and communities through genuine partnership, and I'm proud that by working together, we have been able to provide for these families.”
Mike Hinton, Kahungunu Whānau Services deputy chairperson, said Te Ara o Takapū was about creating a community that works together and was full of hope.
“Each of the organisations represented in the Takai Here Tāngata partnership have stepped up and come together to create the environment where this community can thrive,” Hinton said. “These whānau now have a safe and quality home and I'm overjoyed that they are moving in before Christmas, especially in these testing times.”
The houses were constructed with less waste and using materials that have lower environmental impacts. They have also been built to a standard where they use less energy and water and have features such as energy-efficient lighting, slab insulation, improved wall and ceiling insulation, and improved ventilation, RNZ reported.
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