Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
Question No. 2—Housing
2. IBRAHIM OMER (Labour) to the Minister of Housing: What is the Government doing to increase supply of public housing in Wellington?
Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing): This morning, I announced funding to provide warm, dry, public homes for an estimated 900 families and individuals in Wellington. The Arlington Development, on the fringe of Wellington’s CBD, includes 300 new public houses, plus shared amenities such as a new playground, community gardens and rooms, offices, and an orchard to help integrate the new buildings and residents into the well-established existing community. Arlington will have on-site support services that will support Kāinga Ora’s residents and the thriving community. Construction on the new homes will begin soon, with staged delivery completed between 2023 and 2025. This Government continues to deliver on our plan—
DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think the Minister’s answered the question.
Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Thank you.
Ibrahim Omer: How will the Arlington project provide education and training opportunities?
Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Through its cadet and apprenticeship programme, Kāinga Ora works with training and pastoral care providers, build partners, and sub-contractors to help key New Zealanders into trade apprenticeships and to support them and their employers to maximise their success. Last year, the Government celebrated getting 500 apprentices into work, with the assistance of Kāinga Ora build partners, sub-contractors, and maintenance partners. The Arlington Development provides employment and training opportunities for 40 apprentices and four new graduates, with at least 50 percent of these roles being assigned to individuals who identify as Māori, Pacific, and women, or Kāinga Ora tenants.
Ibrahim Omer: How else should the Government be building public housing in Wellington?
Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: In addition to Arlington, the Government is working with the community, iwi, and Porirua City Council to deliver new, warm, dry homes in Porirua through the Porirua redevelopment. In July last year, I announced the first draw-down on the Government’s $3.8 billion Housing Acceleration Fund, investing $136 million to unlock capacity for an additional 2,000 homes in Porirua and to create up to 250 jobs. This funding is on top of an initial investment of $1.5 billion announced in 2018 to replace older State homes that are past their best with warm, dry, modern homes.
