About 60 people turned out for Monday morning's dawn ceremony to open stages two and three of the Te Kohekohe social housing project in Kaikohe.
Another 37 social housing dwellings have been opened in Kaikohe a part of a joint venture between Te Hau Ora O Ngāpuhi and Far North Holdings.
The two bodies formally opened stages two and three of their Te Kohekohe housing development project on Monday, with the new homes ready for families and individuals to move in.
The first 10 units of the $20 million Te Kohekohe project in Kaikohe were formally opened in October, with another 50 homes to come by June next year.
The extra 37 dwellings mark significant progress in the joint venture’s mission to provide safe, warm, and dry homes for families in need.
The newly opened stage two comprises seven two-bedroom and four three-bedroom units, offering comfortable living spaces designed to meet the diverse needs of our community. Stage three has 26 one-bedroom units and is set to open soon, further expanding the reach of our collective mission.
Stage four will provide nine two-bedroom units and four three-bedroom units in September, totalling 60 homes upon the project’s completion.
With the tenanting process scheduled to commence on Monday, May 13, the development is ready to welcome families into their new homes and witness the positive impact of this endeavour first hand.
“We are thrilled to reach this milestone in our partnership with FNHL,” Tia Ashby, CEO of Te Hau Ora O Ngāpuhi, said.
“This project represents the culmination of dedicated teamwork and our unwavering commitment to providing dignified housing solutions for our community. The success of this endeavour would not have been possible without the collective effort of numerous individuals and organisations.
“Te Hau Ora Ō Ngāpuhi extends our gratitude to all those who have contributed to the realisation of this project, including our dedicated team members, supportive stakeholders, hapu, Te Runanga Ā Iwi o Ngāpuhi group, and generous funders, notably the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.”
The celebration of the new homes also reaffirms Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi and FNHL’s dedication to improving the hau ora outcomes of whānau in the Far North.
“Through the supply of warm, dry homes for those in need, fostering inclusive communities where every individual and whanau has access to a place they can proudly call home,” Ashby said.
“Together with FNHL and our partners, we remain steadfast in our pursuit of creating a brighter future for all.”
With regards to the development process, FNHL, the Far North District Council’s commercial arm, has been responsible for securing all necessary consents, tendering the work and project management of the civil and construction contracts through to completion.
This was FNHL’s “bread and butter” and removed all construction risk for Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi, she said.
Once all homes are completed, Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi will provide tenancy support services for the families and individuals who are provided accommodation.
FNHL chief executive Andy Nock said the $20 million-plus project was the biggest investment made in community homes in the district and could not have been achieved without the collaboration of its partners.
“This has been achieved through a strong collaboration between Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi and FNHL working with HUD to secure much-needed homes to help address, albeit in a very small way, the chronic shortfall in our district,” Nock said.
Far North District Kōwhai/Deputy Mayor Kelly Stratford said the partnership between FNHL and Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi exemplified the council’s dedication to working closely with iwi, hapū, housing agencies, and developers, to address the housing challenges facing the district and mirroring the successful collaborative approach adopted by other councils.
“With FNHL jointly owning and constructing 60 homes and with Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi serving as the community housing provider, they are meeting our community’s needs while also providing vital wrap-around services for whānau,” Stratford said.