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The Government has delivered the next 1,000 transitional housing places it promised, as part of its work to reduce homelessness.

Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods is marking the milestone in Hastings at a new development that includes 13 transitional housing homes and 31 public homes.

“These additional transitional homes were delivered at pace and built on the momentum achieved from the first 1,000 delivered in February 2021 under the Aotearoa New Zealand ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lessness Action Plan,” Megan Woods said.

“This brings to nearly 3,000 (2,938) the number of transitional houses delivered since we came into Government.

“Transitional homes provide warm, dry, short-term housing for individuals and whānau in urgent need, with wrap around health and welfare support services to help them move into long-term housing options.

“These places were delivered across the country with particular focus on regions with increased needs for housing support as part of the wider focus on preventing and reducing homelessness,” Megan Woods said.

The Associate Housing Minister (³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾lessness) Marama Davidson says transitional housing and its services provides people a pathway towards stable housing and reassurance that there will always be support.

“The intensive support provided means people get the help they need to maintain secure accommodation for themselves and their whānau,” Marama Davidson said.

Of the additional 1,000 transitional homes, 70% are newly constructed homes. New builds are important for growing the overall stock of housing available, as well as supporting the economy with jobs and apprenticeships.

This Government is committed to delivering more transitional housing under the Public Housing Plan 2021 – 2024 to support families and whānau. Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Kāinga Ora is making good progress with more transitional housing planned for delivery over the next year.

“We are working with councils, iwi and others based in the community to develop and implement joined up local solutions,” Megan Woods said.

While in Hastings, Minister Woods is also turning the first sod on one of three new developments in Flaxmere on Hastings District Council land that will yield around 150 affordable homes in total.

These developments demonstrate what can be achieved when central and local government work together and with iwi, through the Hastings place based approach.

Hastings District Council have demonstrated strong local leadership by offering up three previously empty sections of council-owned land in Flaxmere for affordable housing.

The developments received $11.5 million through 2020 ‘Shovel Ready’ funding to support infrastructure costs.

Note for Editors:

• Hastings is a priority area for the Government because of its urgent housing needs and a place based programme with the Council is underway.
• Kāinga Ora works collaboratively with a range of build partners across Hastings to help deliver more much needed homes. They have delivered 80 homes in Hastings, with another 120 under construction due to be completed in stages by mid-2022.
• Community Housing Providers have delivered 18 public homes plus 15 transitional homes, with a further 60 homes in the pipeline.
• 35 papakāinga affordable rentals and infrastructure to support homeownership for 23 whānau are in all stages of the development pipeline.
• 123 homes are planned for the Waingākau development led by Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga.
• The housing priorities on the sites are for affordable, well-designed homes in proximity to jobs, amenities and transport networks for more sustainable community living in Flaxmere. Smaller site sizes and greater density at these sites will help to reduce carbon-emissions in the longer term.

Flaxmere

• In Flaxmere, Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga (a registered Community Housing Provider) has 18 public houses under construction on Tarbet St, another Council-developed site where the Council has also sold affordable sections to 17 first home buyers.
• Flaxmere received $2.5 million in 2020 through the Provincial Growth Fund to support housing infrastructure at the Waingākau development, which aims to deliver 120 homes over the longer term.