Senior housing complex in Flaxmere: Construction starting on Te Pā Harakeke

Called Te Pā Harakeke, the Flaxmere development will include 39 new, affordable one- and two-bedroom senior housing units. Photo / Hastings District Council

The site fencing is up and construction of a new senior housing complex in Flaxmere is set to begin from early next week.

The development is a partnership between Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Hastings District Council, funded through the contestable Affordable Housing Fund.

Called Te Pā Harakeke, it will comprise 39 new, affordable one- and two-bedroom senior housing units situated on council-owned land in the southwest corner of Flaxmere town centre, bounded by Caernarvon Drive, Swansea Road and the newly constructed Pam O’Keefe Avenue and Te Ara Huata.

Being built by Alexander Construction HB (Ltd), the complex will provide affordable, high-quality homes divided into 12 blocks, each containing two to four units and designed to create a modern aesthetic and layout. The plan includes a shared public space.

As with the council’s existing senior housing, rents will be set at a percentage of equivalent market rent. In the case of the new homes, that will be 80% of median market rent, meeting the threshold for “affordable housing” set by the HUD. The rent for the council’s existing homes is set at 65% of market rent.

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said in a statement it was very exciting to be bringing new senior housing to Flaxmere and to have other complementary developments under way in the suburb.

“Recently it was confirmed that TW Group has purchased the Flaxmere Shopping Centre and a resource consent has been issued to TW Property for a new Woolworths supermarket complex to be built behind the village shops.

“These other developments will help support those residents living at Te Pā Harakeke, which is the first new senior housing to be built in Hastings in about 40 years.

“At the same time, new housing will also start being built by our development partners this year on the land behind Flaxmere College and the community centre, and at Whakaruru Cres.”

People can find out more about this housing and all the other housing and retail activity that’s planned by attending this weekend’s Community Day at Flaxmere Park on Saturday, April 5.

Running from 11am to 3pm, there will be information stalls about the new supermarket and various housing developments and a free sausage sizzle, bouncy castles and mini-jeeps, facepainting, live entertainment and more.