Kāinga Ora partners with Whanganui developer to provide social housing boost

People should be able to move into the new Egmont St homes by mid to late 2024. Photo / Bevan Conley

Government agency Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities has struck a deal with a Whanganui developer to purchase eight new homes in Castlecliff.

Koubaridis Ventures Ltd is close to completing the houses on a section on Egmont St.

“The homes will be delivered in two stages, with all eight homes expected to be ready for local people and families to move into by mid to late 2024,” Kāinga Ora regional director Graeme Broderick said.

“The developer is responsible for all aspects of the construction and consenting process, site preparation, and delivery of the homes.”

Koubaridis Ventures director Mat Koubaridis said it was the first time his company had partnered with the state housing provider and the process had run smoothly.

“They have been excellent to work with and the lines of communication have been clear and straightforward,” he said.

“We have been able to use local workers and sub-contractors throughout so it’s a win for everyone.”

Kāinga Ora intends to use the homes for social housing and Broderick said plans were progressing to build more homes in Whanganui.

“Four new homes are completed in Harper and Puriri streets,” he said.

“They were built by Wellington Institute of Technology [Weltec] students preparing for jobs in the construction industry.”

Broderick said up to 20 students worked on each home four days a week for about 30 weeks at campuses in Wellington and Porirua.

“They were responsible for building all aspects of the homes, from the floor and wall framing to erecting the roof trusses and installing the insulation and plasterboard linings.

“The light timber-frame homes were then transported to Whanganui.”

It was a “win-win”, Broderick said.

“Families in need get a well-built home, communities get an increase in the number of qualified tradespeople, and students get real-world experience building an actual house under supervision.”

He said other proposed Kāinga Ora developments for Whanganui at Kaikokopu Rd, Delhi Ave, and Bignell Street were still in the planning and investigation phase.

“Once we’ve got concept plans available, we will be able to share these with the community.”

Liz Wylie is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. She joined the editorial team in 2014 and regularly covers stories from Whanganui and the wider region. She also writes features and profile stories.