Nuku Street property sale

Update: 23 October

We have installed fencing around our Nuku Street property because we do not want people putting their safety at risk by entering the site.

The buildings are in poor condition and, due to their age, are likely to include materials that contain asbestos, making them a potential safety risk.

While fencing is not typically required for properties being sold, it has recently become necessary because people have started accessing the site without authorisation. Entering the buildings poses a safety risk given their condition.

The fencing is intended to help keep people safe.

We are also installing additional signage to reinforce that the properties are unsafe and closed to the public.

Update: 22 October

The deadline sale has closed, and we are now working through the next steps in the sale process. This is likely to take several weeks. To avoid prejudicing potential negotiations and to protect Kāinga Ora's commercial position, we are unable to provide any further information about the sales process at this stage.

Update: 20 October

We understand the strength of feeling in the Strathmore community about the Nuku St site and recognise how important public housing is to Wellington. We remain committed to providing more homes in Strathmore Park and across the wider Wellington region. We have already announced proposed plans to build 37 new homes on the nearby Ngatiapa Street site.

We explored several options for redeveloping the Nuku Street site for social housing, but none proved financially viable, which is why we made the decision to sell the property.

As the state housing agency, we have a responsibility to carefully manage our housing portfolio to ensure it continues to meet the needs of New Zealanders. Sometimes that means we need to make difficult decisions about older properties which have reached the end of their life as social housing. Selling those properties and reinvesting the proceeds into modern, fit-for-purpose homes is the best way to deliver more and better housing for those who need it. That is what we are doing with Nuku Street. Funds from the sale will be reinvested in fit-for-purpose social housing. Across Wellington City, we plan to deliver 43 additional homes and extensively renovate six existing homes by the end of June 2027, extending their lifespan by around 50 years.

We currently have no plans to review the sale of Nuku Street.

We are concerned about people accessing and occupying the site without permission. The buildings are old and in poor condition, and there are potential health and safety risks for anyone entering them or erecting signage on them.

*These statements can be attributed to Sarah Willson, Regional Director for Greater Wellington.