The first residents of a new Queenstown housing initiative are expected to move in any day.
Mountain Scene revealed last April Mana Tahuna Charitable Trust was working with an anonymous philanthropist on a pilot-type rental and emergency housing development in the Whakatipu.
The donor has since built nine one-bedroom studio apartments, plus a common area, and handed them over to Mana Tahuna to run.
Trust CEO Mike Rewi tells Scene the donor "has pretty much given us the keys and just wants the costs recovered".
Based in Frankton, the Mana Tahuna Studio Apartments have been designed for short-term accommodation, for whanau who need somewhere to stay until they can "get back on their feet", or into more permanent housing.
He notes, though, they’re open to having a chat with people who might want to stay in a unit longer-term — for example the elderly — "but our intent’s really just to get whanau into housing".
The trust already has five whanau from its books ready to go in, but has put an expression of interest out to the wider community for the remaining units.
"Our social worker will triage the applicants — we’re going to be a little bit particular about who goes in there.
"You want the right mix of people in there, because there is some shared living space," Rewi says.
As far as the weekly rental cost goes, he says there were some "unexpected building costs", however the trust’s social worker will work with whanau to ensure it is affordable.
He also confirms the pilot-type development "will be replicated" within the community.
"When you see the population, where it’s projected to go, the cost of housing — renting or owning a house — is just going to go up. You’re going to see those local families get pushed out more and more, so ... we’re just trying to keep those whanau in the district."
The trust doesn’t have any extra funding for the project, but the Department of Internal Affairs is looking at Lotteries funding, which would enable a full-time equivalent staffer to manage the housing programme.
Till then, Rewi says, he’s "blessed" to have the staff he does.
"Twenty percent of their eight hours of mahi every day is actually within their job description. The other 80% is them just doing what’s needed."
Anyone interested in being considered for an apartment, or refer whanau, can email referrals@manatahuna.co.nz
