New affordable homes right in South Auckland’s Core

 

Today I was privileged to see the marking of a new affordable housing build right in the core of Southern Auckland – that being the Kōtuitui Place (known otherwise as the Barrowcliffe) development.

 

From Panuku Development Auckland:

300 new homes for Manukau

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff today announced a major new housing development in the heart of Auckland’s south. An empty site at 20 Barrowcliffe Place in Manukau will be developed into a residential neighbourhood of up to 300 new homes during the next five years.

The new neighbourhood – Kōtuitui Place – will offer a range of dwellings, from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom houses. At least 50 per cent will be sold under an affordable housing scheme and there will be a range of purchase models including rent-to-buy and shared equity to help ensure affordability.

Mayor Phil Goff says, “Auckland Council is absolutely committed to working with Government, NGOs and the private sector to accelerate house-building and the provision of social and affordable houses. “The houses planned for this development will be built to a high standard, in a location close to great amenities, transport links, education and job opportunities. These homes reflect the changing needs of Aucklanders, with new dwellings catering for single adults through to large families.

Mayor Goff says the development also contributes to the wider regeneration plans for central Manukau. “The regeneration of central Manukau will be comparable in scale to the award-winning transformation of Wynyard Quarter on the city waterfront. It will create an exciting and reinvigorated heart of the city in the south.”

Panuku has entered agreements with Te Ākitai Waiohua and the Puhinui Park Ltd partnership of the New Zealand Housing Foundation, Te Tumu Kāinga and CORT Community Housing, to build the residential neighbourhood. Members of the Puhinui Park Ltd partnership have proven experience and success in delivering affordable homes that are fit-for-purpose for Auckland’s growing population.

Manurewa Local Board Chair Angela Dalton says the development of Kōtuitui Place will create more jobs and help drive the local economy. “This is an important first step towards transforming central Manukau into an affordable and sustainable neighbourhood and a hub for learning, leisure and cultural experiences.”

Panuku Chief Executive Roger MacDonald says he is delighted to see this development underway. “Earthworks started in February and construction is expected to begin later in the year with completion of the homes required within five years. Alongside this housing development work is already underway to begin transforming Putney Way into a pedestrian-friendly main street for central Manukau. The street design will be the first of its kind for the area.”

Further Information 

About Panuku
Panuku Development Auckland is a council-controlled organisation established to deliver urban redevelopment in Auckland. We work across multiple locations and scales – from large, long-term urban regeneration projects, to small projects on specific sites – to meet the needs of the city’s long-term growth, including the requirement for more affordable homes. To find out more visit www.panuku.co.nz and sign up to the newsletter for regular updates.

About Te Ākitai Waiohua

Te Ākitai Waiohua is a Mana Whenua iwi of Tāmaki Makaurau that has particularly strong interests in South Auckland and Manukau. The people of Te Ākitai Waiohua are descendants of the founding ancestor Kiwi Tamaki.

About the Puhinui partnership

In 2013, Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau – Tāmaki Collective, New Zealand Housing Foundation, Te Tumu Kāinga, and CORT Community Housing formed a partnership to increase investment into social and affordable housing. Puhinui Partnership is a collaboration of not-for-profit organisations focused on creating, thriving affordable communities and putting better housing outcomes above the bottom line profit margin. We balance the community outcomes with commercial realities.

About the Housing Foundation

The Housing Foundation is a charitable trust with the goal of relieving poverty by assisting low income households achieve their aspiration of living independently, affordably and sustainably in a stable home environment within a community setting. The Housing Foundation is driven by social objectives and business ethos, reinvesting its returns directly in to the supply of new affordable houses and affordable housing products. In last eight years the Housing Foundation has designed, developed, funded or directly managed the delivery of more than 700 new affordable and social homes within blind mixed tenure housing developments. This approach to delivering blind tenure housing underpins the Housing Foundation commitment to supporting the growth of strong, sustainable and healthy communities through the practical application of Place Making principles.

About Te Tumu Kāinga

Te Tumu Kāinga (legally known as Auckland and Onehunga Hostel Endowment Trust) is administered by the Māori Trustee (Te Tumu Paeroa). Te Tumu Kāinga is a registered charity, providing for Māori accommodation and housing outcomes. It was set up in 1850 and came under the Māori Trustee in 1920.

About CORT Community Housing

CORT Community Housing (Community of Refuge Trust) is a registered charitable trust and not-for-profit community housing organisation providing homes for people on very low incomes. Focused solely in Auckland CORT has been offering affordable community housing for the last 30 years.

CORT Community Housing is governed by a board of trustees. The organisation relies on the support of its tenants and a wide range of people and community groups to deliver its services. CORT Community Housing provides housing for over 300 people.

—ends—

 

The concept drawing of the development:

 

 

Where Kotuitui Place will be:

 

I know the development has had a few false starts and some wrangling over the land that caused a delay getting the entire project going (next time Council hang onto the land and have development as leasehold so you could control the outcomes of this development better and on time) but finally it is under-way and should be completed soon.

 

300 new homes means a potential yield of 1,000 new residents for the area all of which are extremely close to schools, employment, transit and entertainment facilities. Technically you wouldn’t need a car to go from Kotuitui Place to Manukau City Centre or even Wiri – however, we need to work on some of those massive wide roads and pedestrian crossing facilities!

 

I can say Kotuitui Place is pretty close to a Complete (local) Neighbourhood (see: The Case for Complete LOCAL Neighbourhoods (Auckland Also Struggles at Planning for our Metropolitan Centres))