Steven Connelly in his new home at the Katikati elder housing village, a step up from the leaky caravan he lived in for six years. Photo / Alisha Evans
Steven Connelly in his new home at the Katikati elder housing village, a step up from the leaky caravan he lived in for six years. Photo / Alisha Evans
A pensioner living in a leaky caravan with no power for six years now has a new home to call his own.
Steven Connelly, 67, moved into his home at the new elder housing village in Katikati two weeks ago after four years on the waitlist.
Connelly previously lived ina caravan on a relative’s property. There was no power, a long-drop toilet and Connelly slept with a bucket on the bed to catch the leaks when it rained.
Asked if it was good to have somewhere warm and dry to live, he said: “Oh hell, yeah.”
Connelly was getting used to everything in his new home, including how the rubbish system worked with all the different bins, but said it was “pretty special”.
The village was named Te Āhuru Mōwai o Hiria, meaning the sanctuary of Hiria.
Hiria Wills, of Ngāi Tamawhariua hapū, and her husband Vic were residents of the original elder village in the 1980s.
They did not have children so Ngāi Tamawhariua hapū kaumatua gifted the village the name to keep their memory alive.
The Katikati elder housing village of 26 units is named Te Āhuru Mōwai o Hiria. Photo / Supplied
Ngāi Tamawhariua hapū chairman Hone Winder-Murray said the three housing blocks were named after the maunga they faced, Kaimai, Mauao and Hikurangi.
Māori principles had been incorporated into the design and the brickwork patterns were inspired by tukutuku panels at Te Rereatukāhia Marae.
Winder-Murray said the village was a “monumentally beautiful thing on the landscape of Katikati”.
Ngāi Tamawhariua hapū chairman Hone Winder-Murray at the opening of the Katikati elder housing village. Photo / Alisha Evans
Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer said the village came in under budget but did not disclose the final cost.
He said providing safe, secure and affordable housing was one of the most effective ways to enhance people’s lives.
“These new homes are about more than just the buildings themselves. They represent the kind of community we want to be, a community that values its elders, supports their wellbeing, and creates spaces where people can live with dignity and connection.”
Denyer said the opening of the village was a special day for Katikati.
