Kāinga Ora opens the doors on Auckland’s largest social housing development

In total there will be 236 homes spread over five buildings. The majority of the homes in the development have been designed with older customers in mind.

Regional Director for Auckland North and West Taina Jones says the homes for older people include adaptable design for people with deafness or hearing needs, intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental health disabilities, learning disabilities or vision loss.

A large community room will provide opportunities for residents to socialise and undertake activities. This includes a lounge room and private meeting rooms. There will also be smaller community spaces in the other buildings, as well as shared gardens and seating areas.

“The majority of the homes in this new development have been carefully designed to cater for a diverse range of customers and have a mix of special features to meet their needs, including features such as wider internal corridors, bench seats and multiple ramps throughout the building. Within the complex we have 54 1.5-bedroom homes so carers can stay overnight if needed.”

“The homes are serviced by lifts that are large enough to accommodate wheelchairs and mobility scooters, and there’s space to park mobility scooters outside individual units, or in the development grounds.”

Communal spaces including multi-purpose resident lounges and community room where customers can come together and connect are a key part of the development. Community gardens where customers can grow flowers, herbs and vegetables will be added once construction of the fifth and final building in the development is completed.

The fifth building is still under construction, but it should be finished by the end of the year - it will provide an additional 30 homes for individuals and small families.

“Within the Whau Local Board area, there were 477 people waiting for a home in March this year, so we are also pleased to be well-placed in addressing this need for the region. These people may be families with children already in local schools, or they may have whānau connections to the area.”

On Saturday 15 June a community open day was held to allow locals to view the new homes and learn about the development ahead of customers moving in. Ms Jones says moving customers into a large-scale development requires a careful and staged approach, so the homes will not all be tenanted immediately.

“Moving people in gradually prevents disruption caused by a large number of vehicles, people and goods being moved in at one time, affecting those already living in the area. Staged placement also supports the building of neighbour relationships and a sense of community in multi-storey complexes,’’ she explains. With construction continuing the fifth building until November, it’s equally important we stage occupancy for the benefit of the whole community.”

The first customers will start moving in from the week beginning 17 June, with the aim of having all the homes tenanted by early 2025.

“We’re really looking forward to welcoming customers into their new homes and to supporting them as they settle in and become part of the community,’’ Ms Jones says.