Plans for a pair of state housing developments in Kerikeri have drawn ire from some locals, who held a community meeting opposing Kāinga Ora plans.
Kāinga Ora has proposed 20 new medium-density homes to address an urgent need for more affordable housing. The Clark Road properties would include a mix of three-storey apartments and terraced homes.
"Northland has a shortage of public homes," Kāinga Ora regional director for Te Tai Tokerau Jeff Murray said. "In Kerikeri, Kāinga Ora has around 42 homes but they’re all occupied and the Housing Register for the area has around 250 individuals or families."
Many gathered at a public meeting, but the Government agency itself was a no-show. (Source: 1News)
However, former New Zealand First MP Shane Jones said the agency's "quota" regarding the critical lack of affordable housing does not justify "plonking 108 people on two sections, building structures and architectural warts that look like they’re designed as battery caged enclosures".
"People have every right to express that concern and they shouldn’t be guilt-tripped as racist or fascist," he said.
Jones said the message Kāinga Ora has been telling the media has not been given to the local community. He accused the public housing agency of sneaking housing in "like a thief under the cover of night".
Kāinga Ora has "begun engaging with the local community and are committed to further engagement," Murray said. "We have held a community meeting and undertaken to hold more. We have reached out to schools, local service providers and others to meet."
"We want to move forward with public housing as soon as we can. We have children and others living in overcrowded conditions of homelessness and we want to reduce that crisis as soon as we can."
Kāinga Ora was invited to the meeting but did not attend, calling the meeting "inherently party-political in nature" while Kāinga Ora has a duty to remain politically neutral. Labour MP for Northland, Willow-Jean Prime was also invited but could not get leave from Parliament.
The public meeting drew hundreds of concerned locals on Wednesday night. Meeting organiser Vince Buxton said he supported more social housing but took issue with the location, saying "we need to just slow things down".
Northland has identified as one of six homelessness 'hot spots' by the Government, with the highest rates of severe housing deprivation in the country. United Nations expert Leilani Farha called New Zealand's housing crisis "a human rights crisis of significant proportions".
Buxton said the development is not fit for purpose, designed by developer Gemscott "probably to fit a budget more than the purpose of putting roofs over people with families".
He said the developers have found a loophole in the district plan that allows for residential homes in the commercial area, which he said would stymie Kerikeri's growth and commercial activity.
"This commercial development is not in the original plan… it's a breakdown of the rules if you like that allows this to happen."
The properties have already been purchased by Kāinga Ora, paying $2.7 million for one of the central sites in March.
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