Kāinga Ora seeks Palmerston North views on building plans

Kāinga Ora is working on plans to build another 300 state houses across Palmerston North, and is holding public sessions starting next week to share its proposals.

Homes and communities regional director Graeme Broderick said there were 630 people and families on the housing register in Palmerston North waiting for a warm, dry home.

“This is far too many people who are living in cars, motels, overcrowded homes and in other unsuitable conditions,” he said.

Those people needed proper homes to enable them to get on with their lives.

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Kāinga Ora had provided 140 houses across the city since 2018.

At the moment, another 200 were being redeveloped in Roslyn, Awapuni, Westbrook, Takaro and the city centre.

The next tranche of up to 300 homes were being planned for Roslyn, Hokowhitu, Takaro, the city centre, Terrace End, West End, Awapuni and Highbury.

Broderick said the additional proposals would be redevelopments, where older state houses that were past their best would be moved from large sections and replaced with a greater number of new homes.

“This helps us make the best use of the existing land we own, to deliver a greater number of homes to meet the urgent need in our communities.”

Kāinga Ora has narrowed down the particular streets it is looking at in its initial planning.

They are Thames, Tyne, Vogel, Esk and Tweed streets, Rangiora Ave, Clyde Cres and Avon and Upham terraces in Roslyn.

In Takaro, they are Exeter Cres, Seddon and Cuba streets and Montrose Place.

The streets in Hokowhitu are Galway Ave, Ayr Pl, Crewe Cres, Bolton Pl and Tilbury Ave and Selby Pl.

The Highbury streets are Brentwood and Croydon avenues, Botanical Rd, Coventry St and Robinson and Brighton crescents.

In Terrace end, the possible sites are in Webb, Millar and Manson streets, with Hendon Place and South St in West End, Cardiff and Ferguson streets in Awapuni, North St in the city centre and Robinson Cres in Westbrook.

Broderick said the plans were in the early stages and could change, especially in light of community feedback about what worked for people, what did not work and what could be improved.

The first drop-in sessions will be on Tuesday between 11am and 1pm at Te Manawa in Main St, and between 4pm and 6pm at the Ross Intermediate School Hall in Freyberg St.

On Wednesday the session will be at Queen Elizabeth College in Rangitīkei St from 4pm to 6pm.

An online meeting for those able to connect by Zoom will be held on Tuesday, March 14 between 5.30pm and 6.30pm.