Families have begun moving into 24 “life-changing” new Kāinga Ora homes in Ōwhata.

The 24 houses complete the second stage of the development, adding to the 25 that were delivered in June last year.

One tenant said running water, hot showers and electricity were luxuries her family did not have before.

The community celebrated the new homes at the Mansfield Rd site on Wednesday, with Ōwhata School and Rotorua Lakes High School students performing waiata (songs) and Love Soup volunteers preparing food for guests.

Tradespeople who worked on the project, including those from development partner Penny Homes, also attended.

Kāinga Ora regional director Mark Rawson said the homes were “life-changing” as they provided kids a “safe, warm” place to grow up and stability for “60 to 70 years”.

Social housing helped families leave “less than ideal” living situations, reducing the risk of “struggling” or becoming homeless, he said.

“Particularly on the Eastside, where demand is high,” Rawson said.

Eight double-storey and 41 single-storey houses have been built on a 3.3ha site.

The 24 new homes include four one-bedrooms, two-bedrooms and three-bedrooms, nine with four-bedrooms, one with five-bedrooms and two with six bedrooms.

Each home has an outdoor patio, garden and fenced private section. Accessibility was also taken into account for residents with disabilities.

Rawson said the larger homes reflected the changing needs of families, such as grandparents living with their wider family and helping care for children while parents worked.

The organisation worked with the Ministry of Social Development to match families to homes.

Ministry data showed 642 applicants were on the Rotorua Social Housing waiting list as of September.

Important considerations included connections to the area, household size, keeping children enrolled in their current schools and the severity of their current living situations.

The move-in process would be staggered.

Kāinga Ora completes 49-home initiative in Ōwhata where demand is high. Photo / Annabel Reid

Kāinga Ora planned to operate a small pop-up office within the development to support families as they moved in, connecting them with local services and community groups.

Rawson said building strong communities was just as important as delivering new homes.

Rotorua Lakes Council was planting trees as a symbol of long-term residency.

Kāinga Ora managed 1213 social homes across Rotorua and has delivered 331 new homes since 2024.

Rawson said another 98 homes were “in the pipeline” for June 2027.

He said Kāinga Ora was only part of the wider push to deliver new homes.

“[We’re] trying to do our bit in supporting our communities, and particularly those in the communities that require a bit of support to get a great start”.

A ‘lifesaver’ for one family

A Rotorua mother spent five years living “off-grid” with her four children before moving into her home last year.

The woman, who asked not to be identified, said it was “stressful” and “hard”.

“I started to feel useless because I couldn’t provide something as simple as a home for my kids and my moko.”

Her children were aged 6 to 14.

A Rotorua family thankful for their Kāinga Ora home in Ōwhata after years without stable housing.

Despite “good references” and a “good background”, she “just couldn’t get a house privately”.

She said moving into the home gave her a chance to “get back on my feet”.

“Having our own space that we can call our own has made the biggest difference.

“We don’t take simple things for granted - being able to turn on a tap for water, have a hot shower whenever we want, or flick a switch to turn on the lights.”

She said the house was “very warm”, her health had improved, and her children were now “thriving”.

“It’s been really wonderful living here. I love this community, and I love the people.”

Annabel Reid is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, based in Rotorua. Originally from Hawke’s Bay, she has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canterbury.