Some of Hawke’s Bay’s most severely impacted residents whose homes were destroyed by Cyclone Gabrielle will soon be living in Westshore, thanks to an agreement between Napier City Council and Maungaharuru-Tangitū Charitable Trust.

The Trust has secured the lease of vacant land in Westshore from Council for three years, for families who have been living with whānau and in emergency housing since February.

The families, set to move into their new homes in the New Year, are among many Hawke’s Bay residents who lost homes from areas just north of Napier, says Russell Bond, Executive Director Infrastructure Services.

“Many people in our wider Hawke’s Bay community continue to feel the effects of 14 February. It is fantastic to have Council and hapū working closely together to enable some of our severely impacted residents to have certainty about where they live, at least in the short term.”

For many of the relocating families, the new homes in Westshore will see whānau finally able to live together with housing security for the first time in almost a year, says Kelly May, Acting Chair of Maungaharuru-Tangitū Charitable Trust.

“Like so many communities across our region, we have whānau who have been displaced from their homes and away from their families, friends and neighbours since February.”

“As a region, we need to continue to work together to ensure all of our communities can fully recover from the devastating impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle, and we’re grateful to Napier City Council for their support, and for working with us to make these new homes a reality for our whānau in need.”

Twelve pre-fabricated cabins will be moved onto the land over the next few weeks. These will house families, about 20 people in total, including children.

The parcel of land is zoned residential. The lease agreement aligns with the period set out in the Order in Council titled ‘Severe Weather Emergency (Temporary Accommodation) Order 2023’, which provides relief from the requirements of the Resource Management Act 1991.

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