An aerial view of the 28 new homes for older people (aged 50-plus) in Kaitāia - a venture between the Claud Switzer Memorial Trust and Far North Holdings.
An aerial view of the 28 new homes for older people (aged 50-plus) in Kaitāia - a venture between the Claud Switzer Memorial Trust and Far North Holdings.
Work on 28 new homes for people aged over 50 is progressing in Kaitāia, with the one-bedroom units to provide independent living at the Claud Switzer Residential facility.
The new homes will provide shelter for 56 Te Hiku community members, with building starting in June anddue to be finished in October, next year.
The scheme is a venture between the Claud Switzer Memorial Trust (CSMT) and Far North Holdings (FNHL) the commercial and asset management arm of Far North District Council.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is also a major partner and funder of the project.
The construction of 28 homes at Claud Switzer Residential facility, in Kaitāia, began in June and should be finished by October, next year.
Sixteen of the units will be owned by FNHL, which is project managing the build and the trust will own 12 of the units, while also managing the properties as a Community Housing Provider.
Twelve of the homes have been designed with manoeuvrability in mind – six are fully accessible for wheelchair use and six more will include accessibility elements such as fully accessible bathrooms and toilets, full level entry to units, as well as larger door widths, bedrooms and living areas.
The community housing project will build much-needed homes for Te Hiku residents aged over 50.
The addition of a Western Village at Claud Switzer Residential facility on South Rd, Kaitāia, will provide homes that support independent living, while encouraging health, well-being, and community among tenants.
Landscape design includes extensive fruit trees and vegetable gardens, a covered gathering area, recycling and parking facilities are also part of the build.
“The world has changed beyond recognition over the last 70 years, and the CSMT has evolved with those changing times and the needs of its community,” chief executive Tina Mills said.
“Now, the trust is about to enter a new era, with plans to build a housing complex on trust-owned land adjacent to the existing home for those aged 50 and over.”
The one-bedroom units at Kaitāia’s Claud Switzer Residential home will enable independent living for up to 56 community members.
FNDC is developing a housing strategy to remove barriers to building new homes as 15.5% of residents in the district live in overcrowded conditions.
The Far North population is projected to peak at 83,200 in 2049, but already 15.5% of residents live in overcrowded conditions. When it came to Māori - who make up almost half of the population - overcrowding was at 27.6%.
In March last year there were 480 applicants on the Public Housing Register, compared with 90 in March 2018.
