Affordable housing development for Weymouth

New Zealand’s largest community housing development involving 282 social and affordable homes on surplus Government land at Weymouth in South Auckland was announced today by Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Auckland Mayor Len Brown.

“This exciting development involves both the Government’s social and affordable housing reforms and will help 113 families into their first home. It will also expand the provision of community and social housing by 169 units,” Dr Smith says.

The Government is investing $29 million from the Social Housing Fund into the $102 million development to enable the consortium led by Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau (the Tāmaki Collective), along with members of the Auckland Community Housing Network, including the New Zealand Housing Foundation, CORT Community Trust, the Auckland and Onehunga Hostel Endowment Trust, and Habitat for Humanity, to deliver 282 social and affordable homes. A Heads of Agreement has been reached and contract negotiations are expected to be completed later this month.

“This Weymouth development, which will house 1,250 people, will also be the first Special Housing Area under new legislation and the Auckland Accord. This will enable the 16-hectare subdivision of vacant Government land to be fast-tracked, with the first homes ready for occupation by the middle of next year and the entire development completed by 2017,” Dr Smith says.

“I want to acknowledge the Government for the substantial investment they are making to support the building of these new homes,” Auckland Mayor Len Brown says.

“This is the first example of how the Housing Accord will enable us to fast-track the building of more homes in Auckland. It also shows the potential of working in partnerships with the third sector. These organisations are the real champions of housing in our communities, and the work they do will help to improve the lives and opportunities of Auckland families who may otherwise struggle to find suitable housing,” Mr Brown says.

“The development is one of the first outcomes from the recent Tāmaki Collective Treaty settlement and signals the wide ranging leadership role mana whenua will have in the future shape of Auckland,” Tāmaki Collective chair Paul Majurey says.

The Government-owned land is being sold for $8.9 million. The development is being funded by the Social Housing Fund grant, investment by the community social housing providers, and sale of the 113 private homes.

The housing sizes match shortages and are focused on smaller two-bedroom units and larger four-and-five-bedroom homes. The development also includes 3.7 hectares of parks and reserves.

“The community-owned homes in this development will help house high need families as part of the Government’s social housing reforms. The affordable homes, priced between $325,000 and $475,000, will be made available through rent-to-buy and assisted home ownership programmes to first time buyers on low-to-modest incomes,” Dr Smith says.

“This new development shows how the Government’s housing reforms are delivering real results for families in the highest areas of need,” Dr Smith says.

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