David Unwin/Stuff
Kāinga Ora has built 47 state houses in Palmerston North in the past five years, but the number of state houses has dropped slightly.
Waiting lists for public housing continue to rise amid unprecedented demand for accommodation away from the private rental sector, yet the number of state houses in Palmerston North has declined in the past five years. New figures released to
Stuff reveal there were 1434 state houses in the city on October 31, down from 1439 in the 2015-16 financial year. The numbers have remained virtually unchanged over the past five years, as Kāinga Ora-owned properties are demolished, redeveloped or sold at about the same rate as new state houses are built.
Dunedin s homes have a bad reputation thanks to portrayals such as
Scarfies, but the tenants of Kāinga Ora s refurbished Maitland Street apartments have plenty to look forward to when they move in next month.
The old apartments still to be renovated on the left, while the newly refurbished block is on the right.
Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown
Built in the 1960s, the star block apartments in Maitland Street are a part of New Zealand s social housing history.
It was a common style of apartment across the country at the time as New Zealand moved towards medium-density housing.
As the Maitland Street s apartments are Kāinga Ora s only star blocks remaining in Dunedin, the decision was made to retain the heart of the building through a process used elsewhere in New Zealand but never before in the South Island - complex remediation.
Hamish McNeilly/Stuff It was warm, light and had modern facilities. “It is brilliant, really,” Peter said. His old apartment was cold and susceptible to mould during the cold Dunedin winter, he said. Peter said there was no waiting list when he first rented a home with Kāinga Ora, previously known as Housing New Zealand. “But the ballgame has changed over the years.”
Kainga Ora/Supplied
This apartment complex in Maitland St has been extensively remodelled. Social housing like the Maitland St apartments was in high demand. “If I was to go out of it I would not get another place anywhere,” he said.
Leonard Hong: The housing shortage is even worse than you d thought
27 Jan, 2021 04:40 AM
5 minutes to read
New Zealand now has the least affordable housing market for the poorest families, according to an OECD report. Photo / File
New Zealand now has the least affordable housing market for the poorest families, according to an OECD report. Photo / File
NZ Herald
OPINION: New Zealand s housing is a national catastrophe. House prices have gone up by 37 per cent nationally since 2015, according to ANZ. Shortages drive rising prices. And the problem will only worsen as an ageing population means even more housing will be needed.
Stephen Forbes/Stuff
Monte Cecilia Housing Trust chief executive Bernie Smith says despite the Government s best efforts south Auckland continues to grapple with a lack of affordable and state housing.
The number of people in south Auckland on the Ministry of Social Development’s Housing Register has grown rapidly since 2018 and not enough new state houses are being built to keep up with demand. Statistics from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development show the number of state houses available in south Auckland has only increased by 692 homes since September 2018 – from 12,011 properties in September 2018 to 12,703 in September last year. Meanwhile, the number of applicants in south Auckland on the Ministry of Social Development’s Housing Register has grown from 1931 to 3018 during the same period.