Otaki TodayWork has begun on a major new housing development in Ōtaki that will provide 46 affordable homes for local families and individuals.
The project at 254 Rangiuru Road is being led by the Kāpiti Housing Solutions Trust (KHS), an independent charitable housing trust established by Kāpiti Coast District Council to help address the district’s long-term housing needs.
Neighbour Ian McMillan stands at the fenceline where work has begun on a new housing development in Rangiuru Road. Photo Ōtaki Today
The land, originally bought by the council for affordable housing, has been transferred to the trust, which is overseeing the planning, consenting and construction of the development. It’s the trust’s first development, made possible with funding from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
Resource consent for the project was granted by the council in May this year, and enabling works, including site establishment, fencing and earthworks, were expected to begin from late July.
Neighbours say they support new housing, but they’re not happy with communication. Ian McMillan says they got only a few days’ notice of a public meeting on July 15.
“We knew the development was happening – and we’re all in favour of affordable housing – but it’s not really good enough to be told out of the blue that work would begin within two weeks,” he says.
The development has been designed as a permanent community, with the housing trust retaining ownership of the homes – renting rather than selling them. KHS says the aim is to provide warm, healthy and secure housing that remains affordable and well managed over the long term. The homes will be built in two stages. Stage one includes site-wide earthworks and infrastructure, followed by construction of the first 22 homes. A further 24 homes are planned for stage two, expected to begin in late 2027, subject to confirmation.
The finished development will include a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes designed to blend with the surrounding neighbourhood.
Each will feature double glazing, insulation and heat pumps, with durable brick and Colorsteel exteriors selected for longevity and low maintenance.
Shared facilities will include landscaped open spaces, community garden planters, a playground, basketball court, seating areas, bicycle and bin storage, and a planned pedestrian link north towards Ngā Purapura.
Kāpiti Housing Solutions Trust says the project responds to increasing pressure on housing throughout the Kāpiti Coast.
“Like much of the country, Ōtaki and the wider Kapiti region face real pressure on housing,” the trust said in a flyer to neighbours.
“There is a clear and growing need for homes that are affordable, warm, healthy and secure, and that give people a stable place to live over the long term.”
Project management company Egmont Dixon has been appointed to oversee delivery and coordinate the wider project team, while construction company Homestead will undertake the design and build of the development.
The first homes are expected to be completed and occupied progressively during 2027.
The 46 homes will be in addition to the 137 residential units already under construction at 33 Main Highway, Ōtaki, and about 500 units planned at the Ōtaki-Māori Racing Club.
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