Flats sitting empty while development ‘on hold’

The redevelopment of the 10 vacant Renwick Flats on Examiner St has been put ‘on hold’ by Kāinga Ora, and although two of the homes will now be utilised as short-term housing, some people are questioning why the entire complex isn’t being used.

Kāinga Ora (formerly Housing New Zealand) has been exploring options for a multi-storey development on the site, however, the project is currently in limbo while Nelson City Council considers a change to their District Plan (PC29).

“As required by the Government’s National Policy Statement on Urban Development, [the council] is planning to implement a District Plan change to enable sufficient housing capacity over the short, medium, and long term,” says Julia Campbell, Kāinga Ora’s regional director for Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast.

She says the plan change will allow a greater level of intensification on site; however, the scope of development is unknown. “We have also made no decisions about the number, or type, of homes that could be built on the site. There are also no confirmed timeframes for when any potential redevelopment work could begin.”

Julia says they have been using some of the units for temporary accommodation since December 2022 and will now re-let two on a short-term basis until redevelopment can start.

She states that most of the complex, which was built in the 1970s, is “no longer fit-for-purpose” and only two of the 10 units are of an “appropriate standard” to be re-let.

“All the units are bedsits and nearing the end of their life. We have decommissioned some of the units in preparation for them being removed before redevelopment of the site begins. This is our usual process ahead of redevelopment and includes removing the hot water cylinders and discontinuing the power.”

Julia says both the interior and exterior of these units are in “poor condition”.

“Issues range from mould due to leaking roofs, and rotting timber. One of the units also has no carpet as it was lifted after being damaged by water leaks.”

However, Andrew Dunlop, who owns two neighbouring properties says that it is “criminal” that the flats have been sitting empty.

He says there used to be a “real community” of pensioners living in the flats.

The Examiner St site was among 142 social housing units across nine sites in Nelson that Kāinga Ora took over ownership from the council in March 2021.

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith says while he is pleased to hear that two of the units will be re-let, they should not have been sitting empty for nearly a year.

He was approached at the Nelson Market earlier this month by a homeless man who was concerned about the vacant flats.

“It makes no sense for these units to sit empty while we have so many people living rough and homeless,” he says.

“It’s good that Kāinga Ora has relinquished on two of the units, albeit this reinforces that they shouldn’t have been empty for nearly a year. If the improvements required are only minor for the other eight units, these should be done because I think it could still be many months before the development is finalised.”