Selling Kāinga Ora properties
Kāinga Ora is selling some homes and land that do not meet our current, or future, needs.
Right homes in the right locations
As the owner of nearly 75,000 properties, it’s important we take a strategic approach to managing our portfolio. This means continually working to improve the quality of our housing stock and delivering the right housing to the people that need it.
Some of our existing homes are no longer suitable for our tenants and have reached the end of their life as social housing. It makes economic sense to sell these homes and use the proceeds to build new ones that are warmer and drier, the right size and in the right locations.
This doesn’t mean we are reducing the number of homes we own. For each existing Kāinga Ora home sold, a newly built home is delivered elsewhere.
Improving our housing stock
Our national sales programme is part of our focus on renewal, as we reset Kāinga Ora.
This will see around 3,000 ageing or unsuitable homes replaced or significantly renovated over the two years to 30 June 2026. Long-term, we have a goal to complete 11,500 renewals by the 2030 financial year and renew all pre-1986 homes within 30 years.
We are also continuing to deliver new social housing. In the two years to 30 June 2026, we are adding 2,650 new homes to our portfolio – increasing the number of Kāinga Ora homes throughout New Zealand to around 78,000.
Better outcomes for our tenants
New Zealand has a long history of providing state housing. Some Kāinga Ora homes have been in our portfolio for decades and are now reaching the end of their useful life or require significant upgrades.
Our tenants’ needs vary and can change over time. The type and size of homes we need now is very different to when these homes were first built.
Through selling homes unsuitable for social housing, we can reinvest the money in building new, fit-for-purpose homes that better match the changing needs of those who live in them – both now and into the future.
A routine approach
Selling homes or land is not new for Kāinga Ora.
Just like any other property owner or developer we continually assess our housing stock and sell where we need to. We’re just doing it on a larger scale at the moment, with more of a focus on renewing our homes.
This approach means we are releasing more homes into the market for all New Zealanders. While they may no longer work for social housing, there is an opportunity for buyers and developers to invest in the future of these sites.
Any home or land identified for sale is generally listed and sold on the open market by real estate agents.
Frequently asked questions
Money from the sale of existing Kāinga Ora homes will be used to deliver new, fit-for-purpose homes that are the right size, in the right location and which better meet the changing needs of our tenants.
Kāinga Ora intends to sell approximately 900 homes over the next 12-18 months – representing around one percent of our current portfolio. These homes will be in regions across the country. Decisions to sell specific sites will be ongoing, and at any one time there will be properties at various stages of the process.
It’s also important to note we are not reducing the number of Kāinga Ora homes. For each existing Kāinga Ora home sold, a newly built home is delivered elsewhere.
A range of properties will be considered for sale, based on age, location, value and regional housing needs.
Many will be older houses which no longer meet the needs of our tenants. The sale of these homes will fund the construction of newly built homes which are warmer, drier and in the right locations.
Others may be homes in high value areas. In this instance it makes sense to sell one high-value property and use the proceeds to build multiple new ones in areas of greatest need.
If there are tenants living in a home we plan to sell, we will support them to move to another Kāinga Ora home, carefully considering their needs in matching them to a home and community.
Kāinga Ora properties identified for sale are listed and sold by real estate agencies on the open market. Any interested buyers will need to engage with the real estate agent directly – we are not involved in this process.
We will look to sell some land that no longer meets our core objectives. Through selling vacant land surplus to requirements, Kāinga Ora is also providing an opportunity for the market to deliver new housing.
Identification of land for sale will be ongoing, as we determine which sites should be retained for potential development later and which ones could be sold.
Generally, as sites are confirmed for sale they will be listed and sold on the open market by an appointed real estate agent. Larger development sites may require different sale approaches which could include direct to developers and build partners in a similar way as the plots of land in our large-scale urban development projects are.
Where sites are subject to First Right of Refusal, we will meet our Treaty obligations and provide iwi with the first opportunity to acquire those sites.
We will also update local stakeholders as decisions are made about any significant land sales.
Proceeds from the sale of land will either be reinvested in our housing stock or used to reduce debt.
Uma na faafou le itulau: 11 April 2025