How much of a need is there for homes in Hamilton?
The housing market in high-growth Hamilton has been under pressure for some time. There is a growing need for more homes with 1,584 households on the Housing Register at December 2022. Kāinga Ora has around 3,280 homes in the city for people needing public housing, with around 350 extra homes delivered since the end of 2017.
Now resource consent has been granted, what are the next steps?
Detailed design work for the 47 homes and community hub is underway, along with our procurement approach for how these homes will be built. We expect work to start on site in the latter part of 2022, with completion in 2024.
Do you have building consent?
Not yet, but once detailed design work has been completed consents will be applied for.
Who would build the homes?
It’s too early to say right now, but to support regional economic development we would look to contract local build partners.
What design and quality standards would the development and homes meet?
Our aim is to create a community which is inclusive, thriving and connected, with homes which have been built with environmental sustainability outcomes, and which exceed NZ building standard requirements. The development has been designed with input from all four partners as well as specialist architecture, urban design, landscape, and development and construction experts. We have received positive feedback about the proposed development from Hamilton City Council’s independent Urban Design Panel.
How is the vision for the development reflected in the design of the buildings?
The principles of the Kiingitanga have driven and enveloped the design of the site. The predominantly two storey-development represents an efficient use of the whenua, while preserving other parts of the site for shared green spaces and landscape regeneration. The materials used for the buildings are based on colours familiar to Kirikiriroa. This includes the sandy earth tones of the kirikiri (gravel) once seen on the banks of the Waikato River. The kokowai (red ochre) derived from Papatuuanuku and found on the area of Ruakura has been used to colour the entryways of the homes, and is intrinsic to Maaori identity and artistic expression.
How will the wider community be able to use the community hub, gardens and other shared spaces?
Inclusiveness is at the heart of the proposed development, and so the shared spaces are for all to use. While the community hub will provide support services for all whaanau in Te Mauri Paihere ki Mangakootukutuku, it will also provide services to the wider community. We understand there are a range of groups who have contributed to the whenua and Mangakootukutuku Stream, and we aim to enable this to continue.
Who will maintain the homes and how does this work?
As with any rental property, the tenants have responsibility for maintaining certain aspects of their home. In terms of significant maintenance work or repairs, that is managed by Kāinga Ora who has a maintenance team which co-ordinates and manages that work. The tenants would be managed by a Hamilton-based tenancy manager who, as with any rental property, they contact when any maintenance or repairs are needed.
How does Kāinga Ora work with and support their tenants?
We always help our new tenants settle into their new home and community. A key focus of ours is to ensure tenants understand their responsibilities, and that includes being a good neighbour and connecting with their community. If we are made aware of any concerns from neighbours, our Hamilton-based tenancy manager works quickly with our tenants to address these. The tenancy manager will have a regular presence onsite.
About the waahine who will have recently left a corrections facility
Why are you providing whare for waahine who will have recently left a corrections facility?
Reintegrating into the community after serving a sentence in a corrections facility is one of the hardest challenges that people managed by Ara Poutama Aotearoa face. By providing quality homes in a supportive community, access to services and reintegration support, this will help these waahine transition into a crime-free life, which will build stronger whaanau and create safer communities. The waahine will have an accommodation need and many would otherwise be returning to the community without this level of reintegration support.
Where will these waahine come from?
They will have recently completed a sentence in any corrections facility in New Zealand and will be looking to reintegrate into the Waikato region. Many waahine will have iwi connections to Waikato-Tainui, or other long-standing connections to the region.
What support will the waahine who have recently left a corrections facility receive?
They will receive dedicated onsite navigational services from a service provider, who will work with the waahine and their whaanau to connect them with agencies and services like Work and Income, Whānau Ora, Oranga Tamariki and GPs. The service provider will support the waahine into employment and training opportunities and to develop life skills, such as budgeting and parenting skills or getting a drivers licence.
Also, each waahine will have a dedicated probation officer who will support them to meet the conditions and orders of their sentences.
They will be able to access the same services at community hub as all of the other residents and the wider community. Kaumaatua will live at Te Mauri Paihere ki Mangakootukutuku and will provide cultural and social support.
What will the eligibility criteria be for the waahine who will have recently left a corrections facility?
The waahine will have to be assessed as having a genuine accommodation need and likely to benefit from the reintegration support that Te Mauri Paihere ki Mangakootukutuku will offer them. Waahine with high and complex needs will not be eligible to apply. This includes waahine who:
- Present as being at high risk of harm to others
- Have a high risk of serious reoffending, such as highly violent or sexual offending
- Have serious addiction or substance abuse issues
- Have acute mental illness
- Have cognitive impairments.
How long will the waahine live at the whare?
These will be transitional whare, but we want to make sure that the whānau who will live here are not rushed into finding alternative long-term accommodation before they are ready.
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