Kāinga Ora is set to place seven local families into newly installed offsite manufactured (OSM) homes in Ōtaki.

The families will move into the homes, four in Matene St, and three in Mill Rd, once landscaping has been completed.

Created and made by Wellington company EasyBuild, these high quality, warm, dry homes will help to provide much-needed housing to the area, Wellington regional director Vicki McLaren said.

“Kāinga Ora is being innovative about how we can deliver new homes across the country.

“Offsite manufacturing is one of the ways Kāinga Ora has been helping to provide more homes across the country.

“OSMs are a great way to reduce build time.

“Whilst the panels that make up the homes are being constructed in the local EasyBuild factory, our build partners are working to prepare the site for new homes.”

She said the Ōtaki homes are then constructed from a modular house pack fabricated in Upper Hutt, installed and connected to services.

An example of an EasyBuild home.

“Once the houses are in place, our building contractors add a deck and timber fencing, followed by landscaping.

“These single-storey homes, which vary from two to three bedrooms, are not your traditional build; they have included the use of sustainable products as well as smart design to make the home look and feel more spacious.”

Kāpiti Mayor Janet Holborow said housing is at the heart of creating strong communities and directly contributes to thriving environments and a vibrant local economy.

“We know housing is a complex issue and not solely the responsibility of one organisation or sector.

“A key part of the council’s housing strategy is to provide a foundation from which we can continue to grow productive partnerships that address the significant housing need in our community.

“I’m delighted to see Kāinga Ora providing more housing in Ōtaki.”

Since mid-2019, Kāinga Ora has built 15 new homes in Kāpiti with another 14 currently in construction and has been looking for opportunities to increase the number of public housing in the district.

“We have recently purchased 44 Kiwi Rd from Kāpiti Coast District Council, as a way to provide additional access and reduce congestion around one of our proposed developments,” McLaren said.