Councillor Steve Morris backs Papamoa social housing plan

Councillor Steve Morris speaks to residents when a petition opposed to transitional housing project at Opal Dr, Papamoa, was presented to the council. Photo/George Novak

The council-approved transitional housing development in Papamoa will help to home young mothers sleeping in their cars, says councillor Steve Morris.

The Tauranga City Council yesterday granted consent for a 19-unit village offering short-term housing for the homeless at Opal Dr which will see about 80 local families housed every year.

The siteworks will begin in early September, with the first homes likely to arrive late September and be fully operational by December.

Papamoa ward councillor Steve Morris said the 19 additional homes would help put a roof over the heads of young mothers who were sleeping in their cars with their children.

"Everybody in the community would acknowledge homelessness is a growing problem," he said. "If we do not get on top of this situation now, we are going to have generational issues."

The June announcement of the new development had disgruntled a few nearby residents with for sale signs starting to pop up around the area, but Mr Morris said it was time to do what was best for the whole community.

"I understand people are worried about their properties which is your biggest investment and people were unsure what was going next door," he said.

"But, at the end of the day, it is in nobody's interest for these kids and parents to be on the street.

"Some people do not want them next to them but we just have to get on with what is best for everybody."

Changes to the original plans, such as shifting two driveways from Doncaster Dr to Opal Dr, have been made in response to community feedback.

A coalition of Papamoa residents lodged a 112-signature petition opposing the development, organised by a Summerland Cres resident, which was considered by the council.

But residents did not want to talk on the issue, or did not answer calls, when the Bay of Plenty Times phoned about 15 homes on Summerland Cres following yesterday's announcement.

A Tauranga City Council spokeswoman said resource consent had been issued with conditions relating to transportation matters and infrastructure delivery.

She said the proposed use of the site, including the number of dwellings, build form, and development density were permitted Tauranga City Plan activities.

"Resource consent was required in relation to both transportation matters and on the basis that the development includes the construction and vesting of infrastructure in Tauranga City Council," she said.

"Having considered the application material, which included specialist reports prepared by a transportation engineer and a contaminated land practitioner, it was determined that the application be processed without notification."

Associate Minister for Social Housing Alfred Ngaro said the Ministry of Social Development would be partnering with the Tauranga Community Housing Trust to help provide support for families living in the homes.

"These will be families who have found themselves without somewhere secure and stable to live. They may have been in an overcrowded living situation, or unable to find somewhere affordable to live."

Mr Ngaro said they were on track to deliver 68 transitional housing places to Tauranga and Papamoa by the end of the year.

"These places are in addition to the 150 social houses we are planning to secure in the area and will allow us to help 272 local people and families every year."

Accessible Properties chief executive Greg Orchard said transitional houses were a vital first step for moving people out of homelessness.

"But equally important is ensuring there is sufficient long-term social housing available for people to move on to - otherwise the pipeline gets clogged."

Accessible Properties planned to build another 153 homes in Tauranga to continue to grow the number of social homes in the region.

Accessible Properties acquired more than a thousand homes in Tauranga on April 1 as part of the Government's social housing reform programme and was the first Community Housing Provider to be selected for a large-scale housing transfer.