Wellington City Council has reaffirmed its commitment to provide quality social housing, with the Kōrau Mātinitini | Social, Cultural, and Economic Committee endorsing the next phase of the city’s Housing Upgrade Programme.

Housing Upgrade Programme 2 (HUP2) will see a $439.1 million investment, committing the relevant provision of the 2024/34 Long-term Plan budget over the next 10 years to deliver warm, dry, safe, and secure homes for Wellingtonians. This significant step forward builds on the success of the first phase, HUP1, which upgraded 940 units and was completed in 2018.

“I am so proud of this significant investment in our community. Looking after our social housing residents and providing them with a safe, secure and dignified place to call home contributes to our ongoing efforts to strengthen our communities and shows who we are: a compassionate city,” says Mayor Tory Whanau.

HUP2 will deliver more than what was originally committed to under the Council’s partnership with the Crown, with upgrades planned for 825 units and 2,308 bed spaces, surpassing the minimum target of 815 units and 2,273 bed spaces. The Council will continue to provide social housing under this partnership until at least 2038.

HUP2 includes 52 projects, comprising 49 upgrade projects and three seismic remediation projects from HUP1, spread across the city, with phased delivery planned through to 2034/35.

The programme is designed to meet key objectives:

• Provide modern, high-quality homes that are safe, temperate, and dry.
• Deliver a mix of housing types that reflect the changing needs of tenants and maintain social housing capacity in Wellington.
• Minimise disruption to tenants during upgrade works through careful planning and staging.
• Ensure value for money for both the Council and Wellington’s ratepayers

Councillors acknowledged the importance of the programme in improving the quality and sustainability of the city’s housing stock while continuing to meet the needs of its most vulnerable residents, producing resilient and connected communities.

"This is the most ambitious public housing upgrade in Wellington’s recent history. We’re not just fixing old units; we’re investing in 2,308 warm, dry, healthy bed spaces. That’s thousands of people with a safer, more stable home to sleep in,” says Councillor Teri O’Neill, Chair of the Kōrau Mātinitini | Social, Cultural, and Economic Committee.

Upgrade work has already started on 20 vacant homes in Southgate, Miramar, Newtown, Brooklyn, and Wilton, which are being brought up to modern living standards. Planning is also underway for a new development at Nairn Street in Mount Cook, which will see 69 new two- and three-bedroom homes built near the existing Berkeley Dallard apartments. This new development will support tenant relocations during future upgrade and seismic strengthening work, while also expanding the overall housing supply.

Council's Chief Infrastructure Officer Jenny Chetwynd says the Council will work closely with Te Toi Mahana to put the tenants first.

“The Council is committed to improving the quality and quantity of its social housing, offering warm, dry, safe and secure accommodation for all.

“Throughout the HUP2 project the welfare of tenants is at the forefront of our minds, and as such, the project has been structured to minimise the impact on tenants as much as possible.”

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