On Saturday 17 September representatives from local government, Methodist Church of NZ, Wesley Community Action and other organisations came together to celebrate the start of a community housing project that will see 12 new houses available for social housing in Flaxmere, Hastings on land owned by the Methodist Church of NZ Hastings Samoan Parish.

The $7 million project known as Punavaiola, Spring of Living Water, will involve Wesley Community Action working collaboratively with the Samoan Parish to build a combination of three and four bedroom homes to address the huge need for social housing in the region. The half-hectare site adjacent to the Samoan language nest, Punavai O Le Gagana Samoa, was originally ear-marked for a youth centre. However, the parish later changed their development plans in response to wider community needs. 

Rev Iakopo Faafuata, Minister of Hastings Samoan Parish, says, “When we reviewed the plan we decided we needed to cater to the wider community, rather than the parish itself. Housing is better suited to expanding the mission of the Church to meet the needs of the community.” The parish is drawing on expertise from other sectors of the Connexion and professional organisations that have been involved in the delivery of building projects in the past, including Wesley Community Action who established Wesley Rātā Village in Naenae, Wellington. 

Wesley Community Action is a registered Community Housing Provider. Director David Hanna says they are proud to be involved in overseeing the Punavaiola project and supporting the vision of the local Samoan community. “We know how important having access to warm, safe, dry housing is for people’s wellbeing and we have seen how it can change people’s lives – often within weeks.” 

The same company engaged for Rātā Village development, modular home provider EasyBuild, will prefabricate the homes at their Wellington factory and transport them to Hawkes Bay for onsite assembly. David says he was impressed by the quality and cost of the housing. 

It is estimated that the project will be complete by late 2023 and the homes will be made available to people on the social housing waiting list, with a particular focus on Pasifika aiga.  

L to R Sandra Hazlehurst, JB Heperi-Smith, Tim Dodge, David Hanna, Christian Tanielu, Rev Iakopo Faafuata.