Six social housing units going up in Ohakune contributing to local economy

New social housing units in Ohakune's Moore St are being paid for by Government's Covid-19 infrastructure fund. Photo / Supplied

Construction of Ruapehu District Council's six new social housing units in Ohakune is on target for completion in August.

The $2.1m project in Moore St has been funded through the Government's Covid-19 response infrastructure fund, in partnership with the council.

The construction of the units was making a direct positive contribution to the local economy, and once complete they would help address a shortage of social housing in Ohakune, Ruapehu mayor Don Cameron said.

"The current Labour government has made housing a national priority and council believes we can play a constructive role in addressing the wide-ranging housing issues affecting all sectors of our community," Cameron said.

"Not only do we need more social housing but we also need suitable and affordable housing for single people, key workers, families of all sizes and older people."

In late 2020 the council consulted on and adopted a five-year housing strategy and action plan which also involves supporting local iwi Uenuku, Ngāti Hāua and Ngāti Rangi to deliver their own Māori housing initiatives on Māori-owned land.

"We are aiming for the successful completion of the Moore St project to demonstrate our capacity to deliver even larger housing projects in the future and unlock further investment from the Government and the private sector toward implementation of our housing strategy," Cameron said.

When the project was launched, housing minister Megan Woods said it was a chance for the council to use its land holdings to partner with the Government and build a more prosperous and resilient district - an example of working together to resolve the housing crisis.

The units were the first concrete implementation of the housing strategy, Cameron said. He hoped they would be a catalyst for further work with the Government to develop housing "at scale".