Hastings whānau builds new affordable rental houses on site of family home in first project of its kind

New affordable homes built in Hastings at 1314 Jubilee St. Photo / Paul Taylor

A Hastings family has achieved a 70-year-old dream by turning the family's old two-bedroom house into a housing development that will leave a lasting legacy of safe, affordable housing for future generations.

As part of the first urban project of its kind, the Tawhai whānau, with the help of Crown Māori Affairs adviser Te Puni Kokiri, have finished a $1 million project to provide affordable rental accommodation to families.

Te Puni Kokiri provided a $457,000 grant towards the project and $69,000 for a feasibility study.

The furnished houses, constructed by local builders Stonewood, are double-glazed, insulated, and air-conditioned.

"It's been an exciting journey and it's amazing we're here. It was a wish of mum and dad for us to have secure homes for the family, so that was our motivation," family spokesman Bill Tawhai said.

"We had a lot of special occasions here in the past - birthdays and Christmases - and this will continue that. So, it's not just about three houses, it's all about being together."

Tawhai said a key point to the project, alongside providing safe and affordable accommodation, would be to encourage more family members into home ownership, and to inspire others to make use of Māori freehold land for housing.

"We're encouraging the younger generation to break that rental cycle. So, there's not just a short-term benefit from this."

Speaking at the official blessing of the Jubilee St site last week, Te Puni Kokiri senior adviser George Mackey said the family had come a long way, inspired by Bill's parents who settled in the street after the end of World War II.

"The journey the whānau have been on to get to this point has been pretty amazing, it's the first urban papakāinga in the country to be developed by an individual whānau - not a big Māori trustee, not an iwi - but a whānau that had a dream and a passion.

"To stand here today and see the realisation of that inspiration is humbling."

The project was achieved by changing title of the land to Māori freehold land, and appointing a trust to provide guardianship.

"What they have done is futureproof it for future generations."

The site now includes three houses, a mix of three- and four-bedroomed properties, with a combined floor space of 310sq m and would be made available for a reduced rental cost to family members.