Thirteen social housing homes in Te Puke for Kāinga Ora have been completed this month.

The two and three-bedroom houses are at 107 Boucher Ave (five houses), 6 Princess St (four houses) and 5 Gisborne Rd (four houses).

Whānau moving in are coming from emergency housing and other forms of temporary accommodation, including fast-tracked families with children.

Karakia blessings were carried out by Minita Paruhiterangi O’Callaghan (Waitaha, Tapuika) last week, with open homes also held for neighbours and others in the community to have to opportunity to view the Princess St and Boucher Ave houses before people move in.

The houses have been built by developer-build partners Wolfbrook Residential (Princess St, Gisborne Rd) and Archispace Developments (Boucher Ave), with Kāinga Ora taking ownership of them on their recent completion. The new warm, dry houses have double glazing, carpets and curtains, as well as an easy-to-maintain fenced outdoor area and off-street parking.

A further 17 houses at 11 Belvedere St and 182-184 Boucher Ave are expected to be completed by early or mid-2025.

Kāinga Ora Bay of Plenty regional director Darren Toy says it is always special to see whānau move into new homes, particularly families with children who have been fast-tracked out of emergency housing.

“Those moving in are coming from temporary accommodation, including emergency and transitional housing, and their new home will feel to them like the best early Christmas present possible.”