A blessing was held on site this morning at dawn led by Te Āti Awa to clear the way for the whānau. Photo: Hutt City Council / Elias Rodriguez
A blessing has been held in Lower Hutt as 19 families move into new, fully furnished homes in Taitā.
The houses at Te Ara o Takapū have been built through a partnership involving the Hutt City Council and whānau service organisations.
Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa chairperson Kura Moeahu said today marked a two-year journey to get the homes built in challenging times.
There was an urgent need to provide warm and dry homes for whānau who are in high housing stress, he said.
"The partnership between Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa, Kahungunu Whānau Services, Hutt City Council and Urban Plus has succeeded in delivering 19 homes that 34 people will be living in. This is significant for our people, and we want to do more."
Mayor Campbell Barry said the partnership acts on the council's commitment to putting people and whānau at the centre of its own housing developments.
"Our city is facing significant challenges with homelessness and housing costs, and it's projects like Takai Here Tāngata that will make a real difference for getting people and whānau out of housing stress and into permanent housing.
"This demonstrates what we can achieve for our people and communities through genuine partnership, and I'm proud that by working together, we have been able to provide for these families."
Kahungunu Whānau Services Mike Hinton deputy chairperson said Te Ara o Takapū aimed to create a community.
"Each of the organisations represented in the Takai Here Tāngata partnership have stepped up and come together to create the environment where this community can thrive. These whānau now have a safe and quality home and I'm overjoyed that they are moving in before Christmas, especially in these testing times."
The houses have been built to a standard that means they use less energy and water and are built with less waste during the construction process.
Heating costs are lowered through increased thermal performance and materials used to build the homes have lower environmental impacts.
Other features include energy efficient lighting, slab insulation, improved wall and ceiling insulation and improved ventilation.