Council infrastructure acting group manager Jonathan Shaw said the new units, which cost a total of $2.8 million, would strengthen the council’s elderly housing unit portfolio across Invercargill and Bluff.
Construction of the six homes began in May last year, following the demolition of four units dating from the 1950s that were no longer fit for purpose.
More than 50 people are on the council’s waiting list for elderly housing.
Infrastructure and growth committee chairman Alex Crackett said the new homes were part of a wider shift towards warmer, safer, more efficient housing in Invercargill.
"We know the pressure is there. There’s a long waitlist, and a broader market that’s trying to catch up with ageing housing stock and changing expectations around accessibility and quality.
"The six new units at Miller St will help meet this demand and provide much-needed, accessible and affordable housing for our older residents," he said.
Mr Shaw said the first tenants would move in within weeks.
Kāinga Ora Otago and Southland regional director Liz Krause said all of the homes were built to full universal design standard, which made them easily adaptable for people living with disabilities.
The new units come with a limited mobility bathroom, off-street car parking, an outdoor area with a raised garden bed and a sheltered porch for storing mobility scooters.
By Toni McDonald
