New Kāinga Ora housing for Tūrangi

The seven planned properties will bring the total of new public homes in Tūrangi to 22.

To help meet the strong demand for public housing in Tūrangi, Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities has an agreement to purchase seven homes from developer NZ Housing Group.

Six two-bedroom and one three-bedroom single-storey homes would be built at 43 Rangiamohia Road, Tūrangi by Taupō Construction Group.

Resource consent was recently granted to NZ Housing Group for the development, with work expected to start on site in early October and be completed by mid-2024, when Kāinga Ora will take over the houses.

A further five two-bedroom homes are already under way at 38 Tureiti Place, Tūrangi, also contracted to be delivered for Kāinga Ora by NZ Housing Group, with completion in mid-2024.

The homes are in addition to 10 homes being built on Kāinga Ora redevelopment sites, with five new homes under way at 3-5 Parekarangi Grove and five at 4-6 Te Wharekaihua Grove.

Good progress was being made at both sites by Kāinga Ora build partner Devon Homes, with windows installed and cladding about to start at Parekarangi Grove, and cladding and insulation close to completion at Te Wharekaihua Grove.

The 10 homes were due for completion in the first half of 2024.

Darren Toy, Bay of Plenty Ora regional director for Kāinga Ora, says these 22 new houses were much-needed in the town.

“With around 50 applicants on the Housing Register for public housing in Tūrangi, there is a very real need for more warm, dry and safe housing for local whānau.

“It’s been over 40 years since public housing was last built in Tūrangi, and I am pleased to see another 22 homes under way to add to the 28 state homes which already house whānau in this community.

“Buying homes from developers as well as redeveloping our own existing properties, which may have old homes on large sections, are two of the key ways in both Taupō and Tūrangi [in which we will] quickly bring on more housing for those most in need.”