Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust’s (ŌCHT) newest community delivers on a wish to replace what was lost in the Canterbury earthquakes, with the help of its first private sector investor.

ŌCHT officially 35 homes on Willard Street, Christchurch this morning. It is ŌCHT’s 13th new community since 2019 and the latest built to New Zealand Green Building Council Homestar 7.

The warm, dry and efficient one-, two- three- and five-bedroom homes replace 26 one-bedroom weatherboard units built by the Christchurch City Council in 1939-1940.

ŌCHT chief executive Cate Kearney explained the Trust’s newest community also delivered on the wish to replace social housing capacity lost to the Canterbury earthquakes.

The city lost 400 council-owned, largely one-bedroom units to the quakes. With Willard Street, ŌCHT has delivered 410 new bedrooms in 270 new homes since 2019.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger, who was a council-appointed ŌCHT trustee before elected mayor, noted the new homes are a far cry from the units they replaced.

They were a “great example of the renewal we need to see more in our social housing stock”.

“ŌCHT is delivering on our desire for improvements to the quality and number of units our city provides, and Willard Street is another example of what is possible with city support,” he said.

The north-facing properties have energy efficient heat pumps and high-performing thermal envelopes which means it will be easier and cheaper for tenants to keep their homes comfortable year-round.

They're ŌCHT’s first built using structural insulated panels, an insulated core sandwiched between engineered wood panels, made offsite and craned into place from the back of a truck.

The panels, by Formance, saved construction time and they are incredibly thermally efficient, ensuring warm, dry and efficient homes for decades to come.

Ms Kearney noted many who contributed to the project, including project manager Rangzen, South-by-South-East Architects and Consortium Construction, have worked with ŌCHT before.

“It’s a thrill to see our trusted relationships grow with every project”.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, and Minister of Housing Megan Woods and the Ministry of Social Development have been key partners since 2019.

Willard Street is the first of ŌCHT’s developments funded by a private sector loan.

Generate KiwiSaver partnered with Community Finance to invest in the project as part of their focus on investments that have a positive social impact, Ms Kearney said.

The new homes were delivered on time and on budget “so we can help more people into homes that we can all be proud of”, Ms Kearney said.

“And now the focus shifts to the tenancy and property teams who are already working to welcome new tenants and to carefully maintain their homes.

“All this work is part of our collective social investment in our city community. Together, we’re growing a legacy that started at Willard Street and Barnett Avenue more than 80 years ago."

Landscaped grounds feature shared common spaces where children can play and easy access to the Simeon Park complements tenant’s private courtyards and sunny balconies.

The homes are just a short walk from Addington School, bus routes and the Selwyn Street shops, making it the ideal place for a mix of household types and sizes.

Nearly half the new homes have two or more bedrooms, recognising the pressing and ongoing need for affordable multi-bedroom public rentals in Christchurch.

ŌCHT’s new tenants come from the Ministry of Social Development’s Public Housing Register. In June, 759 of 1947 registered for housing in Christchurch needed two or more bedrooms.

The Christchurch City Council owned and operated 26 weatherboard bedsits at Willard Street from 1939. The property was transferred to ŌCHT as part of the Christchurch Housing Accord.

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