The recently retrofitted Centennial Cres property in Gisborne is 85 years old, making it one of Kāinga Ora's oldest state homes. Photo / Kāinga Ora
The recently retrofitted Centennial Cres property in Gisborne is 85 years old, making it one of Kāinga Ora's oldest state homes. Photo / Kāinga Ora
One of the oldest state homes in Gisborne has received an upgrade as part of Kāinga Ora’s retrofit programme.
The 85-year-old Centennial Cres property is one of 3500 properties upgraded as part of the programme.
The house was built in 1941, making it 85 years old this year.
The Elgin home was completed as part of a wider building project during World War II.
Originally a private residence, the two-bedroom property was sold to Housing New Zealand in the 1970s to join the street’s growing state housing portfolio.
“In the new home, we noticed the change straight away. On the very first night, it was warm and cosy and, when the weather was warmer, it stayed cool too.”
Kāinga Ora regional director Graeme Broderick said the main benefit of the retrofitting programme was the greater sustainability and lower cost of refurbishing homes compared with demolishing and replacing them. Photo / Kāinga Ora
Okeroa says the renovations have “made life easier”. Accessibility improvements, such as an open shower, made the bathroom “much safer” and “easier on my arthritis”.
The programme aims to “significantly improve older state homes” through identifying older, out-of-shape state houses and improving them through retrofitting.
About half of Kāinga Ora’s housing stock is at least 40 years old.
Graeme Broderick, regional director, said the main benefit of the programme is its focus on “renewal over replacement”.
“Renovating is often more sustainable and cost-effective than demolishing and rebuilding when a home is in the right place, close to schools, employment or other services tenants need.”
Each retrofit depended on the condition of each home, but commonly included measures such as double glazing, fully insulating floors, ceilings and walls, and installing improved heating systems.
Once issues were identified, renovations on a house typically took three to five months to “bring it up to modern standards”.
“This work will ensure these homes are healthy, warm, and fit for purpose for decades to come,” Broderick said.
Launched in Lower Hutt in 2018, the retrofit programme later spread to other parts of the country in 2020.
