Public housing to return to Wairarapa, Tararua after more than two decades

Housing Minister Megan Woods has announced more than 50 houses for Masterton, 30 of which are Kāinga Ora new builds, which will be ready by 2024. Photo: 123RF

The Wairarapa and Tararua areas will soon have government public housing once again, after going more than 20 years without.

They have been the only places in the country without such homes after the then-National government sold its stock of more than 500 of them in 1999.

Minister of Housing Megan Woods has announced more than 50 houses for Masterton.

Thirty Kāinga Ora new builds will be ready by 2024 and another 22 are in partnership with social service agency Emerge Aotearoa, which receives government funding.

Land has also been purchased in Greytown and Woodville for about fourteen new homes, and there are more in the pipeline, Woods said.

RNZ reported on the Greytown land purchase last week, revealing that despite Kāinga Ora writing to neighbours in July to let them know about its plans, locals including South Wairarapa Mayor Alex Beijen were unaware of them until approached by RNZ.

But the Tararua and Masterton mayors said they had been working closely with Kāinga Ora and local MP Kieran McAnulty in a bid to address a desperate housing shortage in the region.

Masterton mayor Lyn Paterson expressed disappointment that public housing was removed in the first place.

"That had a huge economic impact on our lower income families for nearly twenty years.

"I have waited a long, long time for this day to happen," Paterson said.

Tararua mayor Tracey Collis said Kāinga Ora's return was long overdue.

"It did feel like, you know, we had been abandoned, and especially given the current housing crisis that we find ourselves in.

"So to see them make that start in Woodville and further plans ahead is really exciting.

"It's been a lot of people working together and pushing to make this happen."