Government infrastructure funding boost to enable 4000 new homes in Hastings

A new tranche of government infrastructure housing is set to enable around 4000 new homes across multiple developments in Hastings District.

Housing Minister Megan Woods travelled to Hastings today to announce a $192m investment in critical infrastructure projects to kick-start new housing developments, across the country.

Of that $18.5m was allocated to Hastings to improve road access and resolve capacity constraints in the district’s wastewater network, as well as providing drinking water supply to the Waipatu area.

The funding included a joint application between Hastings District Council and Heretaunga Tamatea Settlement Trust.

The 4000 homes that are forecast to be enabled over the next 10-15 years as a result of the Crown’s investment would include papakāinga housing on several Māori-owned developments, affordable homes, social housing, and homes for the general market.

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the funding would further help address the region’s housing shortage.

“Since 2019 we have been working hard with our Hastings Place Based Plan partners to deliver homes that meet the needs of our community.

“Through that partnership we’ve seen the number of households in emergency housing drop from 133 in May this year to 65 in September, and four motels have now been vacated with those people moved into homes.

“The government funding that helped support and kick-start this initiative has allowed us to move more quickly than would have previously been possible, and we’ve made huge progress with hundreds of houses either built or in the pipeline.

“This investment unlocks further capability to address what is a long-term issue, and we are grateful for the Government’s ongoing commitment and partnership to enable our community to have a place to call home.”

The Heretaunga Tamatea Settlement Trust is the post settlement governance entity for Heretaunga Tamatea, and the successful joint application for IAF funding with Hastings District Council represented one of its first opportunities to invest commercially, socially, environmentally, and culturally in its people, chair Liz Graham said.

“Te tapuwae o Rongokao – tapuwae nui tapuwae roa. Seeding our footprint into the future like that of Rongokako – far reaching and broad.”

As well as the funding announcement, the opportunity was taken at today’s event to turn the sod at 72 Caernarvon Drive, Flaxmere, the council-owned site where work is set to begin on the roading and water infrastructure to enable about 60 affordable homes to be built.

This added to the 45 homes that will be built at 244 Flaxmere Ave, and 40 more on the council-owned land behind the Flaxmere Village Shops.

By early to mid-next year, the first of these sites will be ready for building to start.

Council is currently working with prospective developers to build the homes and various options to buy them such as shared ownership or rent-to-own.

For more information about the progress that the Hastings Place Based Plan partners have made since the pilot launched in 2019 see https://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/housing_update

30 November 2022

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