Fresh plan for new social housing on prime Mt Roskill site

The new plan provides for 27 modern one-bedroom homes in a three-level apartment building. Kāinga Ora expects to apply for resource consent for the planned new development in the coming months. Subject to this being granted, we expect construction of the development to begin in mid-2027 and to be completed in mid-2028.

This fresh approach follows a careful review of options after the original 23-unit build stalled in 2021 when serious defects were found in the modular-constructed units and the main contractor went into liquidation.

“Work on the original development halted due to an unfortunate chain of events. We’ve weighed several options for the site since then, including selling, taking a careful, value-for-money approach,’’ says Caroline McDowall, General Manager Housing Delivery.

“We’re confident building social housing on the land remains the right thing to do. It makes commercial sense, and it supports our goal of delivering modern homes that are the right size, and in the right places, for our tenants.

“The 27 new homes we’re planning for the site will respond to Auckland’s growing need for one-bedroom social housing, giving singles and couples a safe, modern place to live in an area of the city that’s close to the amenities our tenants need,’’ Ms McDowall says.

Under the proposed new plans, the deteriorating steel frames currently on site – all that remains of the original 23-unit build – will be removed to make way for the new homes as this makes the most sense financially. Work to demolish the steel frames is expected to begin this month and, depending on weather conditions, to be completed in April.

“When the defective units were deconstructed, we kept the steel frames in case they could be re-used. However, that hasn’t proved viable. From a build cost perspective, it makes more sense to start from scratch,’’ Ms McDowall says.

The demolition contractor will aim to recycle or reuse as much of the demolished steel as possible.

The $10.17 million spent on the original development will be written off. These costs relate to feasibility and construction costs incurred before the development stalled and the main contractor went into liquidation.

Each of the proposed 27 units will be built according to new Kāinga Ora standardised designs, ensuring they can be built cost-effectively and have practical layouts that put tenants’ needs first. A lift will service the apartments to give tenants easy access. Parking spaces will also be provided on site.

“We appreciate the local community’s patience while we’ve worked through options for the Richardson Road site. Now we’ve decided on the best way forward, we can start work on the design of these homes, which we’re aiming to have completed in the 2028 financial year,’’ Ms McDowall says.