Tenants in elder housing units in Tauranga are being welcomed to Kāinga Ora following completion of the purchase of most of Tauranga City Council's elder housing portfolio.

The transfer of customers and 197 homes to Kāinga Ora took place on Tuesday.

Over the past six months Kāinga Ora, Tauranga City Council and the Ministry of Social Development have been supporting tenants living in the seven villages through the ownership transfer, which means Kāinga Ora is their new landlord.

'We're excited to welcome our newest customers to the wider Kāinga Ora whānau, and we look forward to building relationships with and supporting them in the years ahead,” says Kāinga Ora Bay of Plenty regional director Darren Toy.

'The wellbeing of these former council tenants has been our top priority, and the mahi and teamwork across central and local government has seen a smooth and successful transition.

'Our new customers can enjoy their later years, knowing that under the partnership agreement with the Council, they will have affordable rents, their property maintained, and they will always have a place to call home.

'There is also a commitment to exploring redevelopment opportunities to build more warm, dry and modern homes at these villages, many of which have older buildings. While we don't have any current plans, further down the track this will be a focus, to help address the strong need for housing in our fast-growing city.”

The housing on Pooles Road.

Tauranga City Council commission chair Anne Tolley says the transfer of village ownership to Kainga Ora provides a classic ‘win-win' situation.

'The existing tenants have secure tenure in their homes and the guarantee that they will be well-maintained and affordable. Future tenants will also have access to the Government's rent subsidy, which will ensure that this community housing asset continues to meet a very real public housing need for our city,” she says.

'From Council's perspective, the funds generated by the sale have been earmarked to support affordable housing development, so that will deliver an additional benefit for the community, and Kainga Ora's longer-term plans for more new dwellings on these properties will create additional housing capacity to meet a growing need.”