Largest Kāinga Ora public housing development – Te Mātāwai completed
Kāinga Ora's first single-site supported public housing development – Te Mātāwai in central Auckland - was handed over by contractor Icon.
A total of 276 units are at the Te Mātāwai complex, within three tower blocks of between 9 and 13 storeys high. The public housing customers who will live within the purpose-built development will get a permanent home and access to around-the-clock, on-site support services. They will also have access to shared communal spaces that have been purposely designed to provide opportunities for people to connect with their neighbours, helping to foster a sense of community and belonging.
Te Mātāwai also has 76 homes available for rent for the wider rental market as part of a one-off mixed tenure pilot approved by Cabinet, which will help to create a more diverse and mixed community, which plays an important part in achieving positive outcomes for everyone.
All units at Te Mātāwai are built to Homestar 7 standard, meaning they will be warmer, healthier and more energy efficient for customers and their whānau. About 60% are also accessible or universally designed for customers with wheelchairs or limited mobility and have been recognised with Lifemark ratings of 3 or 4. As well as the common accessibility features such as level access, wide doors and shower rooms, a number of the units have additional features such as benches that are able to be raised and lowered, side-opening ovens and lower shelving to allow people in wheelchairs to live independently.
Kāinga Ora worked alongside Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei from the beginning of the project with the Auckland-based hapu gifting an overarching narrative for the site, which was used to inform the design of the building. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei designers also worked alongside our construction and design teams, ensuring the design followed Te Aranga design principles(external link) and brought the narrative alive. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei also gifted the name of the complex - Te Mātāwai and gifted the names for the three tower blocks that make up Te Mātāwai - Waitapu, Waiora and Wainui.
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei worked closely with Kāinga Ora on the design of the complex.