Hastings to get 200 new houses in next two years, Government announces

Hon Megan Woods, left, and Hon Nanaia Mahuta at a housing announcement for Hastings at Waipatu Marae. Photo / Warren Buckland

The Government has announced it will build 200 new houses in Hastings in the next 18 months.

The district has been hit by an increasing shortage of affordable houses, rental properties and emergency housing.

Housing Minister Megan Woods and Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced on Thursday the district is expected to get 200 houses including state housing and papakainga affordable rental homes by June 2021.

The announcement also included 100 Housing First places in Napier and Hastings as well as house repairs for whānau with children and short-term temporary housing for severely overcrowded houses and more services for people receiving emergency housing grants.

Woods said to tackle the housing crisis, a tailored response to each region's needs was needed.

"We've worked closely with the Hasting District Council, iwi and community to come up with this package."

Woods acknowledged Hastings District Council Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, and Ngāti Kahungunu chair, Ngahiwi Tomoana, for their collaboration with central government on their work.

"The new houses will be a mix of public housing from Kāinga Ora, community housing providers, and papakāinga affordable housing on Māori land.

"$8.7 million will support delivery of the papakāinga housing and whānau home repairs, on top of existing funding sources.

"Housing First is an internationally recognised approach which gets people into homes first and then connects people with the right social services for them.

"The Government will be expanding this programme to Napier and Hastings through Whatever it Takes Charitable Trust, Emerge Aotearoa and Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga," Woods said.

Mahuta said Te Puni Kōkiri would deliver and support papakāinga housing in the region to ensure Māori have access to safe, warm and affordable housing.

"Utilising the regional network of Te Puni Kōkiri, an additional 22 affordable rental homes will be constructed and infrastructure for 17 further sites will help ensure more housing is delivered in the near future," Mahuta said.

Hazlehurst said she was pleased the Government had delivered on the promise made by the Prime Minister when she visited Waipatu Marae in April this year.

"Jacinda Ardern made a commitment to work together to deliver a plan that would firstly deal with the issue of homelessness and our severe housing shortage in the short term and secondly, to ensure the housing market works for everyone so that home ownership is possible for the whole community in the medium to long term.

"We are really pleased to be chosen for this pilot programme and I'd like to thank her ministers responsible for housing and the government agencies that have been working with us, under the leadership of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, to make this happen for our people."