Hawke's Bay housing crisis: Progress as number waiting for housing drops for first time in three years

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst says "we have started to solve the housing crisis in Hastings." Photo / Warren Buckland

There's a long, long way to go, but attempts to solve the Hawke's Bay housing crisis may be starting to work.

For the first time in three years the number of people waiting for a state house in the region has dropped.

It went from 661 in December 2018 to 629 in March 2019.

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst says "we have started to solve the housing crisis in Hastings".

Hazlehurst says they need to find 400 homes for people in the city who are in motel units as emergency accommodation, living in overcrowded homes, in cars and under bridges.

Solutions from iwi, HNZ and local council plans are helping provide housing for the issue, she said

The council has been partnering with iwi and working with central Government to build up to 200 more papakāinga housing in the Hastings region.

"This solution enables land to stay within the iwi and people get to own their own homes," she said.

Council staff are also working on a multi-lot subdivision between Flaxmere Ave and Tarbet St on council land.

"We are working very closely with a private developer and the Ministry of Social Development to look at providing up to 35 houses within this area," Hazlehurst said.

"These will be a mix of affordable homes and social housing. We are envisaging these homes will be available in the next 12 months."

Construction has started on Waingakau Village as well, the housing development being built by Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga in Flaxmere.

This will be a mix of affordable co-housing and conventional housing from one to four bedrooms. It will bring 120 homes to the community and will offer multiple pathways for home ownership.

Housing New Zealand has also started building 44 state houses in Oliphant Rd and Campbell St.

Councillor Maxine Boag said it is encouraging to see the Housing Register start to decline. Photo / Paul Taylor

They will be a mix of one-bedroom to two-bedroom duplexes to three-four-five bedroom standalone houses, with more planned for Hastings over the next three years.

Napier also has new homes on the way from Housing New Zealand, with 53 homes to be built by the end of the year under their Regional Housing Programme.

Large developments are happening down Neal Crescent with nine new homes and eight new homes each down Constable Crescent and Dinwiddle Ave/Curling Crescent.

Also separately, 10 three-bedroomed homes will be built on a block at Nos 72-86 Geddis Ave in Maraenui.

Napier City Councillor Maxine Boag said she understood these homes would be priced around $385,000 each.

Boag co-convened a forum at the start of May where they gathered a huge group of around 40 people from different organisations and sectors to all discuss the issue and what everyone was doing to contribute.

"There was representatives from central Government and local councils but also those who run homeless shelters and help support those in need.

"It was a way for us to see all the work that is being done in the community but also for everyone to connect and get to know each other."

The plan is to work on developing a database for housing in the region. She hopes to have regular gatherings every three months.

Boag said that although the number of people on the housing register is on a downward slope the region still had a long way to go.