It aimed at addressing housing affordability for “moderate-income” essential workers in healthcare, education and emergency services.
The 28 three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes would have rents set at 80% of the market rate, made possible by a 25-year Ministry of Housing and Urban Development subsidy.
The rentals were among 58 homes in the wider residential building project, led by developer Watchman Capital.
Speaking to the Rotorua Daily Post at their new home, Hori said he loved the kaupapa of rentals intended for essential workers.
“I count myself lucky, to be honest. But I know a lot of our public servants are struggling out there.”
Hori works for Fire and Emergency New Zealand, while Pep was looking for mahi after being made redundant.
The couple were living in Palmerston North before moving to Rotorua in March, where they had been living in a cabin for six months with whānau.
While they “loved it”, they were worried about living there during the summer with no air conditioning, Hori said.
Pep said they looked at buying a home but found it was “quite expensive”.
“We’re like … we’ll just rent until we can build at home on papakāinga,” she said.
Rotorua couple Hori and Pep Mana at their new home in the Home in Place affordable rental development in Rotorua. Photo / Megan Wilson
The couple applied for a Home in Place rental about six months ago, and found out on December 1 their application was successful.
“I said to him, ‘I don’t believe it until we walk in and we get the keys’,” Pep said.
Hori and Pep have eight children and three mokopuna. The couple would primarily live in the home alone but their two teenaged children would “come in and out”, Hori said.
Hori said he was most looking forward to having his mokopuna stay with them. They planned to host Christmas with their whānau.
“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Christmas under a new whare.”
Hori acknowledged the mana whenua of the land, Ngāti Whakaue, and the whakapapa of Te Arawhata, which a crescent in the development was named after.
“For us, it’s something we need to treasure and look after.”
Pep thanked iwi and everyone who “made it possible for us to be able to have this opportunity”.
Home in Place’s first affordable rental development in Rotorua was officially opened on December 8. Photo / Megan Wilson
Home in Place chief executive Larissa Bridge told the Rotorua Daily Post the homes were completed on November 22, and the campaign to find essential workers to tenant them was “highly successful”.
“We’ve had dozens and dozens through our open homes, private tours …”
Twelve of 28 rentals had been tenanted and it would be fully occupied before December 24, she said.
Tenants included nurses, teachers, emergency services, hospitality and pharmacists, Bridge said.
She said giving “key workers that are essential to retain in Rotorua to serve the community” access to affordable homes had been the organisation’s goal.
Bridge said market rent for the properties was $600 per week. The subsidy meant tenant households would pay $480 per week.
She said it was a “great saving” for families who would potentially not otherwise be able to save for holidays or home ownership.
In a speech at the opening, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Rotorua, Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay director Jamie Forsman said these types of “mixed use” developments were serving a “significant need”.
“Particularly those working whānau who don’t qualify for social housing but whereby market rent is still unaffordable.
“It’s great to see as well that these developments [are] being delivered at scale and at pace.”
Forsman said “some significant momentum” had been gained towards housing delivery in Rotorua through public-private partnerships.
Trade Me’s latest Rental Price Index showed the national median weekly rent had fallen to $610 in October – the lowest since May 2023.
Despite the declines, the Bay of Plenty and Auckland remained the country’s most expensive regions to rent at $650 per week.
Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.