Pattison Rd flats to be demolished to make more room for better housing

The white housing block on the corner of Pattison Rd has been deemed in too much of a “poor condition” for residents to live in and will be pulled down, like its neighbouring property the Karamu Rd tower apartments, which are currently being demolished.

Kāinga Ora has spent the last few months working with residents of the Pattison Rd flats to find alternative housing and is pleased to say they have found suitable homes for everyone who was living on the site.

Now, with the residents all moving on, the flats will undergo preliminary site testing along with the removal and disposal of asbestos.

A Kāinga Ora spokesperson said the organisation expects demolition to take place mid-June to mid-July.

Tukituki MP Anna Lorck has been fighting for both the Karamu Rd tower apartments and Pattison Rd flats to be demolished to make way for new inner-city housing since she first ran for MP. Now, almost three years after she was elected, it is finally happening.

Lorck once said the Pattison Rd flats and Karamu Rd tower apartments were the “worst of the worst social housing” and is ecstatic that both sites are finally being demolished.

She explained clearing both sites and starting from the ground up with the community’s input is the perfect opportunity for the possibility of multi-purpose innercity living.

“These demolitions are a significant opportunity for the community to be ingrained in the project from the start and have their say,” Lorck said.

The Tukituki MP is pushing for the new development to move away from standard social living and aim towards affordable housing, affordable first homes and pathway-to-ownership programmes.

With everything still in the planning stages Kāinga Ora wants to focus on what the community wants and needs, so will be asking for ideas and feedback from locals.

In a letter to residents of the Pattison Rd flats, Kāinga Ora community engagement and partnerships manager Dale Grant said now that the buildings have reached the end of their life, the plan is to redevelop Pattison Rd and the neighbouring Karamu Rd as one.

“We are exploring development options for more housing on this site, to help address the urgent need for more public housing in Hastings,” Grant said.

The Kāinga Ora design team is looking at initial site design options and wants to work alongside the community to ensure the best possible housing and community outcomes.

The housing organisation plans to keep locals updated with the progress.

This is a Public Interest Journalism funded role through NZ On Air