“What’s different about this to a social housing project is this is about housing development and moving a whanau from out of those social housing situations into a home ownership situation,” says Mike Paku chairman of Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga.
The whole project is kaupapa Māori based but will be for the whole community, not just Maori, consisting of one bedroom through to four bedrooms homes that will go some way to helping to alleviate the loss of some 377 state houses in Hawke’s Bay since 2011.
“The housing situation is fairly dire here [Flaxmere] rental properties tend to see 10 – 15 people show up to rent and there is actually very few listings for Flaxmere,” says project manager Emma Horgan.
There will be 120 affordable new houses will be built all on their own freehold title with ” prices are ranging from 140,000 for a single bedroom up to approximately 375,000 for a four-bedroom home,” says Paku.
The project has support from Hastings District Council and will be at least two years until it is near completion.
