Te Kainga Aroha - 195 Willis Street Wellington.
Capital Construction for the Wellington Company have constructed internal fitout thanks to the ground-breaking Te Kainga building at 195 Willis St; Wellington City Council’s affordable rental scheme where some essential workers can now look more realistically at quality,
long-term, affordable residential accommodation in the CBD.
Te Kainga Aroha is the first building in the programme and marks a partnership
between the Wellington City Council and private property investment
company The Wellington Company.
The programme aims to provide new housing designed around the
needs of city-dwellers who aren’t eligible for social housing, but are in
rental stress in the private sector, says Liam Hodgetts, Wellington City
Council Chief Planning Officer. “The vision for the programme was to
create affordable, well-appointed rental apartments for the people who
keep the city running: those on medium-to-lower incomes who are
employed in essential public service sector roles.”
In the first instance, the partnership has seen The Wellington
Company convert this building at 195 Willis Street
to residential property and lease it to Wellington City Council for 20
years.
As the building owners, The Wellington Company is responsible
for construction and maintenance of the apartments; the council is
responsible for tenancy management.
The deal provides 52 affordable new homes, with more apartments
planned.
With the building being repurposed from commercial
to residential, the construction timeframe was much faster than
a greenfield development. Resource consent was easily obtained as
exterior changes were assessed to have zero negative impact.
The building was upgraded to meet 80 per cent New Building
Standard.
Apartments are well laid out, stylish and represent good
value for money. Each has double glazing, whiteware, free wifi, recycling,
rubbish collection and bicycle parking. Two apartments have some
accessible features.
A secure entry, CCTV throughout common areas and controlled access
to all common doors and lifts ensures tenants’ safety. Designed with
long-term tenants in mind, it’s envisaged residents will become happy
and secure members of Te Aro neighbourhood, which benefits social and
economic outcomes.
The 52 units are a welcome addition to the capital’s most diverse
and exciting neighbourhood, says Hodgetts. “Growth of the inner-city
population also supports local businesses and improves safety within
the city.” Tenant satisfaction is already evident. Six months after
completion, a survey revealed that 83 per cent of tenants thought
the apartments were good value for money, while 87 per cent said
they would recommend the building to a friend or family member.
Based on the success of this first step, Wellington City Council
has committed to providing 1000 units over the next five years in
its Te Kainga programme.