Houses built by EIT students ready to help relieve housing emergency

John Roil with EIT Hawke's Bay trades training students. Photo / Supplied

Houses built by EIT Hawke's Bay Trades Training students could be used for emergency housing in what is looming as the hardest part of the year to find accommodation.

EIT Hawke's Bay in partnership with prefabricated building business Hawke's Bay Homes has four 62sq m two bedroom houses, two x 60sq m one bedroom homes and one 36sq m two-bedroom sleepout with bathroom, that are ready to be used to ease the impact of the housing shortage.

More than 1000 people are currently living in motels across Hawke's Bay, and with the arrival of Recognised Seasonal Employment scheme from the Pacific Islands, this will add further pressure to the housing crisis.

"The government has land available after clearing old Housing New Zealand houses in Hastings and we've got some new consented houses ready to go. It's the perfect solution," says Hastings businessman John Roil, who began a trades training partnership with EIT Hawke's Bay in 2010.

Roil's business Cottages NZ provides house designs and use of its onsite building facility in Maraekakaho Rd, along with marketing and sales support to EIT Hawke's Bay.

EIT building, electrical and plumbing trade students have now built 49 buildings, with the money from each sale being used for funding the purchase of materials for the next building.

"Every stage of the build is quality checked and are sold with a council building consent," Roil said.

"In the past they've been marketed as holiday homes or second dwellings on lifestyle blocks but we think the government should be looking at the currently available houses to be moved on land which has been cleared of old state housing stock."

Minister of Housing Megan Woods, and the Associate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) Nanaia Mahuta are in Hastings this week and Roil says they should come and take a look at the housing solution.

"There's vacant land in Hastings and Flaxmere, where services such as water and electricity already exist. We've got a plug in and live solution right here, right now."

Roil said the homes range in price from $113,500 for a pre-decorated stage through to a completed building at $158,000 and could be lived in within three weeks.