First Napier KiwiBuild buyers now moving into Maraenui homes

Geddis Ave, Napier, last year, as 10 KiwiBuild homes were prepared for the market. They've all been sold. Photo / File

State housing provider Kāinga Ora has confirmed the sale of all 10 of Napier's first KiwiBuild homes on a site which had been vacant for more than six years since the removal of several two-storey state housing units.

The homes were built in the Hutt Valley, transported by road to Napier and placed on the site in Geddis Ave, Maraenui, last year.

With prices from $385,000 upwards an open day for prospective homeowners was held in November and Kāinga Ora Hawke's Bay area manager Andrew Cairns said they are all sold and buyers have started moving in.

Kāinga Ora is building more homes throughout Hawke's Bay, with proposals to build 8 homes on a site in Taradale Rd, and in Maraenui where, Cairns said, the agency has been working with Napier City Council and other stakeholders on a wider plan looking at community infrastructure to accelerate the suburb's economic and social development.

"Kāinga Ora is developing a neighbourhood plan that builds on the community enhancements and details the type and range of housing that would benefit the area, including public and affordable housing," he said.

"This has seen the delivery of the KiwiBuild homes at Geddis Ave. We'll be in a position to provide an update on more of our plans for Maraenui as soon as possible.

Kāinga Ora is building more public housing in Hawke's Bay as its build programme "picks up in scale and pace", having already seen 56 new state homes in Napier and 16 homes in Hastings in the past two years.

Cairns said they were part of the extra 120-190 state homes Kāinga Ora would provide in Hawke's Bay by mid-2022.