Families move into supported transitional housing in Rotorua

Now named ‘2six5 on Fenton’, the former Boulevard Motel property will see whānau provided with short-term supported transitional housing, including help to find a more permanent place to live.

Experienced Rotorua provider Wera Aotearoa Charitable Trust(external link) has leased the property from Kāinga Ora, and has been contracted by Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga (Ministry of Housing and Urban Development) to provide transitional housing(external link).

Support will be provided to the families living in the village-like community by the skilled Wera team, who will have staff on site 24/7. A range of services will be on offer to meet the needs of whānau, including advice on budgeting, and managing a home and tenancy.

Following the upgrade work there are now 30 self-contained units, ranging in size from studios to a 5-bedroom house. Each unit has their own kitchen and bathroom, and one is fully accessible.

The shared communal living includes a fenced children’s play area, games room, laundry room, admin block, and commercial kitchen and café area.

The significant work carried out to make the property suitable for people to live in has included installation of: a hard-wired fire alarm system with heat detectors and fire walls; new insulation and curtains; some carpet replacement; kitchen and bathroom ventilation and extraction units; and whiteware and cooking appliances. All spa baths and spas have been removed, the swimming pool covered up, and overgrown vegetation removed.

The 0.66 hectare property which was purchased in by Kāinga Ora in mid-2021, has council consent to permit its use for transitional housing. It was also purchased with longer-term redevelopment potential in mind, for mixed housing further down the track.

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