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New infrastructure funding will support more housing for Hastings

waingakau village

Hastings District Council welcomes today’s announcement from Housing Minister Megan Woods and Associate Minister for Housing Nanaia Mahuta that will see government contributing $16 million for infrastructure to support the development of new housing in Hastings.

This is in addition to the $12 million Hastings District Council has already set aside for housing infrastructure, bringing the total investment to $28 million. 

The government funding has been committed through the “shovel ready projects” process run by Crown Infrastructure Partners and the Provincial Growth Fund, to provide economic stimulus and employment following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the council was excited to be working alongside government to deliver much-needed housing for the community as well as providing more jobs in a post-COVID environment. 

“The lack of affordable housing in our community has been a challenge over the last four to five years due to a variety of factors including low interest rates, rent increases, the need to house 4,500 seasonal workers every year, and our emergency, social and senior housing all being at capacity.”

“Having a roof over your head is vital to people’s wellbeing. Providing enough homes in the right places that are accessible to everyone is one of our region’s main priorities.”

The government funding includes infrastructure support for the Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga Waingākau housing development (Waingākau Housing Development Ltd) in Flaxmere. The first stage of this development will deliver around 50 homes, including Te Puni Kōkiri- funded Te Ara Mauwhare progressive home ownership homes.

The funding will also deliver new infrastructure to enable the development of housing in the Hastings place-based housing plan.

Mayor Sandra said this co-investment will bring more social and affordable housing as well as greenfield development opportunities identified in the Heretaunga Plains Urban Development Strategy, while generating and maintaining jobs, construction activity and promoting economic confidence in the Hastings District. 

“This infrastructure funding will complement work already underway in Hastings to address our serious housing shortage.  Our community has one of the highest rates of households on the housing register on a per capita basis across New Zealand, and high numbers of Emergency Housing Special Needs Grants, and we need to change that.

“This co-investment is a major commitment to continue working together to provide much-needed homes for our community, and we look forward to partnering with government to ensure the most at-risk people in our community have access to housing.”

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development began work with Hastings District Council, Kāinga Ora, Te Puni Kōkiri, Ngāti Kahungunu, the Ministry of Social Development and other key local players in April 2019, to respond collectively to housing need in Hastings as part of a ‘place-based approach’.

As a result of the collaborative work, in December 2019 Ministers announced a support package, which will provide around 200 additional houses for low-moderate income households by the end of 2021 (extended from mid-2021 due to COVID-related delays). The houses will be a mix of public housing, papakāinga affordable housing on Māori land, and other affordable housing. This includes an additional 160 public houses through Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities (as well as replacing around 70 existing homes).

Photo: One of the Waingakau housing development houses under construction last summer.

21 August 2020

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