The biggest public housing development Taranaki has seen in more than 30 years was recently completed in New Plymouth’s CBD.
Developed by Kāinga Ora and Soho Group, the new social housing complex was completed through a design and build contract with BOON and Chris Bell Construction. It has 23 two-bedroom units, 21 one-bedroom units, and a community space, all designed with functionality in mind.
The multiunit design located on the corner of leach and Cameron street will alleviate pressure on the public housing register which as at March 2024, there were 417 people on the list for an affordable rental property in New Plymouth, up from 120 in 2019.
Majority of the new tenants will come directly off the Ministry of Social Development housing register, giving them the opportunity to thrive in their own space, as opposed to being in emergency accommodation or bunking down with friends and family.
The three level development spread across two separate buildings required careful detailing for fire design and acoustics, due to the proximity to New Plymouth’s busy one way road system. Accessibility was also a key focus with contrasting colours for vision-impaired people to easily navigate the space, level-entry spaces for people with mobility constraints, and grab rails and seats in bathrooms for people to be able to shower in a more accessible way.
