Affordable housing project reaches next step
The Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust took one step closer to providing affordable housing in the Upper Clutha last week.
Titles for the first 18 Longview sections — a development on a 34ha site in Cemetery Rd, Lake Hawea — were officially handed to the housing trust by developer and Universal Developments director Lane Hocking.
Housing Trust executive officer Julie Scott said it was exciting to receive title and move towards building affordable households.
“I think it will have a significant and positive impact on the community.
‘‘This is the first stage with 18 titles [today] then 28 later this year, and then 58 in total.’’
“That’s close to 60 new households able to live affordably here,” she said.
The first stage of houses were due to be completed around mid 2024.
“This is a really great example of a positive outcome through collaboration between local council, private developer and the housing trust, to get good community outcomes.’’
The Longview sections would be the largest contribution made by any developer across the Queenstown Lakes District, and showed there were developers who wanted to do ‘‘really good work,’’ she said.
Universal Developments director Lane Hocking said the project began in 2017 and had been a ‘‘long and exciting journey’’ since then with ‘‘a lot of help from a lot of people.’’
It was a collaboration between the housing trust, Maungatua Construction for on-site work and the Hawea Community Association, who had been ‘‘very helpful in their input’’, and ‘‘made this ultimately a better project.”
Working with the Housing Trust had been a “dream relationship”, he said.
The Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (QLCHT) formed in 2007 after the Queenstown Lakes District Council recognised the district’s issue with affordable housing.
It is an independent, not for profit and community owned organisation.
A range of housing programmes have been designed to assist eligible low to moderate income earners to acquire local housing.
There are 820 on the QLCHT waiting list, with 150 based in Upper Clutha.
The Longview development, collectively, has 463 sections consented for the development, with 300 sections already sold.
Mr Hocking said the vision for Longview had remained the same since inception.
“A happy community that has high-quality, warm homes of their own, that are affordable and some rentals. With ultimately a commercial hub where it’s just more sustainable,” he said.
Three hectares of land had been allocated for the future commercial development, with consent in place for a child care centre and commercial building with a licensed cafe, offices and commercial tenancies.
“Ultimately, we are working around the waterway on a 1.8km cycle track onboth sides,” Mr Hocking said.
Universal Developments has four developments around Queenstown Lakes District — Clearview and The Heights (Wanaka), Longview (Lake Hawea) and a site in Queenstown.
