Fourteen new homes for people with mobility issues are being built in Whakatāne for Government housing agency Kāinga Ora.

The two-bedroom homes are being built in Stewart Street, directly across the road from Whakatāne Hospital on land that property developers, Des and Dave Fermah, have attempted to develop as retirement housing for over a decade.

In 2009, the brothers, who previously built the neighbouring Totara Park subdivision, planned a seven-lot subdivision for half of the site, at 60 Stewart Street, which was adjacent to the Senior Citizens Hall.

Whakatāne District Council refused consent at the time, after a resource consent hearing at which Totara Park residents opposed the 'high-intensity” subdivision.

The council said the design and density of the project would lead to privacy, parking and noise problems and conflicts were likely to arise with no management body in place to deal with them.

They also had concerns about whether services such as sewerage and stormwater could be provided, given the scale and density of the development.

The Fermahs later lost an appeal to the Environment Court on the decision.

In 2012, the Fermah brothers confirmed ownership of the Senior Citizens Hall, which has recently been demolished, doubling the size of the development site to 4286 square metres.

In 2019, subdivision and land use consent were granted for a 16-unit village on the property. However, only two, one-bedroom kitset homes were built, completed in 2021.

The site of the former Whakatāne Senior Citizens Hall which was deconstructed by NZ Construction to make way for the Kāinga Ora residential development. Photo Diane McCarthy.

Now, Kāinga Ora has announced that it has taken ownership of the two homes and expects to take ownership of 14 more two-bedroom homes on the site by mid-2023.

Partnering with housing developer Central Development Trust, which has been building houses for Kāinga Ora since 2007, Kāinga Ora said it would take ownership of the homes once they were built.

NZ Construction would be building the new homes and had awarded building contracts to Whakatāne-based contractors,” a statement from Kāinga Ora says.

'These 16 homes will be for people needing a long-term home and have been designed for older people who have mobility needs. This development will also include a shared outdoor pocket park for residents, in the centre of the development and a garage park for each home, suitable for mobility scooters or small cars.”

Kāinga Ora says NZ Construction deconstructed the old hall that was on this site, and much of the material was recycled, with sheds being built with the old wood, in line with their commitment to reducing waste which would otherwise go to landfill.

The new homes would be matched to individuals and families on the Ministry of Social Development's Housing Register, with the highest priority for a home of that accessibility, size, and in that location.

Kāinga Ora says it works hard to ensure people are placed in homes that will best meet their needs, and always helps new tenants settle into their new homes and community.

'A key focus is to ensure that tenants understand their responsibilities and that includes being good neighbours and connecting with their communities. Kāinga Ora is also looking at new ways of supporting tenants and helping them connect to support services when and if they need it.”

Meanwhile, a Kāinga Ora-owned flat at 68 Stewart Street remains boarded up due to methamphetamine contamination and fire.

A Kāinga Ora flat at 68 Stewart Street has been boarded up since a fire occurred while it was being decontaminated for methamphetamine. Photo: Diane McCarthy.

Kāinga Ora Bay of Plenty regional director Darren Toy says the property was initially made vacant late last year due to meth contamination.

Work was completed to have it decontaminated.

'While the property was still vacant there was, unfortunately, a fire at the house, which is why it is currently boarded up. We're now taking the opportunity to upgrade and modernise the house, and while it's taken a little longer than usual to get this sorted and get trades on board, we're hopeful this work will be completed in November.”

Kāinga Ora also plans to build a complex with up to 60 apartments and commercial spaces on the corner of Stewart and King streets, which is expected to be completed in 2025.

Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.