Twenty-six new units in community housing development on Victoria Avenue
Soho Group Limited are pleased to complete development works at 321 Victoria Avenue, Whanganui. This year-long project restored two existing motel blocks and added an additional third block to the site. The existing motel blocks were refitted by local construction firm,W&W Construction. The new block to the front of the site was constructed by Palmerston North builders, Isles Construction Limited. The intended use of the property is longterm, high-quality public housing. The repurposed site will positively impact on the street scape of Victoria Avenue while boosting the delivery of innovative, designed public housing solutions to the Whanganui area. The property now comprises 10 one-bedroom units, 14 two-bedroom units and 2 three-bedroom units. The new homes have all been specifically designed to exceed Building Code requirements for insulation, noise insulation and ventilation ensuring warm, dry and comfortable homes. the newly built block has also been designed to include additional accessibility provision for tenants. Several onsite amenities have been included for tenant convenience, including a central carpark and communal laundry. The property is finished with landscaping that includes a palette of local plants, which will establish over time to compliment the large existing Pohutukawa that was conserved to the front of the property. The site will be handed to Compass Housing (New Zealand) Limited as the property manager. The remaining front bar at this property is also owned by Soho, with development works expected to commence in 2021/22 to deliver a mix of retail/hospitality and residential units. Soho are committed to continuing to provide new public housing solutions across New Zealand, including further projects currently underway in the Manawatu region.
Who runs the community housing development?
The new Community Housing development on Victoria Avenue is a partnership with SOHO Development Ltd, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD) and Compass Housing Services (CHS).
Soho development is committed to delivering high quality, safe, warm and healthy homes that are available to a broader cross-section of the Whanganui community.
MHUD is responsible for the strategy policy, funding, monitoring and regulation of New Zealand’s housing and urban development system. It will provide funding for the project over the 25 year contract period.
The tenancy and property management services will be provided by Compass Housing Services, a not for profit, registered Community housing provider, accredited by the Community Housing Regulatory Authority (CHRA).
The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) manages the social housing register, which determines who is eligible to rent properties in the development. MSD also provides a rent subsidy to low income households based on their income.
The project includes complete redevelopment of a former motel and construction of new units.
There are 26 units. in total, including 10 x 1 bedroom, 14 x 2 bedrooms and 2 x 3 bedrooms.
The development has onsite parking, open space areas and a separate laundry facility.
Each unity has it’s own private open space area.
The 26 purpose-built apartments will be managed by Compass Housing for community housing residents.
Some frequently asked questions
When will the residents be moving in?
the first residents will move in at the end of November 2020 and we expect that the place will be full within a couple of weeks. We have been meeting regularly with MSD and social services agencies, who will continue to provide services to residents in their new homes, if they require them.
Who will be moving in?
Due to the mix of 1 and 2 bedrooms available. there will be a combination of older and single person households, couples and families with children.
How will community housing tenants be selected?
To be eligible for community housing, applicants ned to be on the (MSD) social housing register. Eligibility is based on the assessed need (i.e. priority rating) of the applicant and their individual housing requirements (e.g. #bedrooms, location and modifications). MSD and HUD are liaising on initial tenanting of the development to ensure a mix of households that is sustainable and supports the successful integration of all the residents into their new community.
What criteria will be used to select community housing tenants?
The selection criteria is dependent on each household’s requirements and housing priority as assessed by MSD e.g. number of bedrooms required, preferred area to live in based on health needs, schools, whanau/family links and wellbeing requirements. it is expected that many of the people in the social housing register will be currently living in Whanganui in properties that do not meet their needs. Over the past couple of months, we have engaged with a number of Whanganui organisations including government, iwi, social services agencies and other stakeholders in the community. We are establishing a local office and are happy to answer any further queries you may have.
Please email initial enquiries to NewZealand@compasshousing.org.
Call 0800 124 663.
Published in the River City Press November 2020
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