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New community housing units in Dunedin have been welcomed as a vast improvement and tenants have moved in.
Construction of the four units in Fitzroy St, Caversham, came in well under budget and on time, the Dunedin City Council said.
Council property services group manager Anna Nilsen said the redevelopment project replaced four units from the early 1900s.
“The previous housing units in Fitzroy St had become aged and not fit-for-purpose, so we deconstructed them to make way for new, modern and accessible homes better suited to our tenants’ needs.
“The flats will be much warmer thanks to improved insulation, double-glazing and efficient heat pumps.”
They were a vast improvement on the previous units, Ms Nilsen said.
Four tenants were moving in and they were thrilled with their new lodgings.
The original budget was just over $2 million, but lead contractor Breen Construction built the new units for $1.475m.
Last year, the council decided to pull back on planned expansion of its community housing portfolio amid worries about rising building costs.
However, it elected to press on with the Fitzroy St redevelopment.
Completion of the project restored the number of units in the portfolio to 940 across 92 sites in the city, Mosgiel and Port Chalmers.
The council said the flats had a larger, open-plan layout and were more accessible for people with specific or higher-care needs.
“Some of these tenants struggled in our other units, so it’s great to be able to provide a more supportive living environment and ensure a better quality of life,” Ms Nilsen said.
The flats were modern, warm and compliant with Healthy Homes legislation.
Community houses were available for people with limited financial resources, and applicants were approved based on their priority and housing needs.