A 50-house state housing project in Northland, described by one neighbour as a “battery hen development”, has been shelved with existing units being upgraded for letting.

But Kāinga Ora is reluctant to turn its back on the Ruakākā development, saying there is potential for it to be assessed again in future.

The controversial proposal, first floated in late 2023, was to replace 16 state houses with 50 new two-storey homes, in a block across Tiki Pl, Tamingi St and Peter Snell Rd.

The proposal caused considerable disruption to the existing tenants, including many elderly who had lived in their state house for decades, said their unofficial spokeswoman, Tui Roman snr, who lives in a Kāinga Ora home near to those affected.

Residents and neighbours feared the intensity of the development would change the close-knit feel of the community. One neighbour described it as a ghetto, with high density, multi-storey, “battery hen” blocks.

The community was also fearful of crime, after three homicides on Peter Snell Rd in 2023.

In July 2024, Kāinga Ora started to review its social housing projects, including the Ruakākā proposal, after the debt-laden agency was required to improve its financial performance.

At the time, Northland regional director Jeff Murray said the community would be kept informed as projects were assessed and decisions made.

Roman said the Ruakākā community has not had any further information from Kāinga Ora.

But she and fellow neighbours noticed extensive renovation work is now being done on some of the 16 state houses that were vacated to make way for the development.

“They’re now doing them up to put tenants back in ... We’re pretty happy about that,” Roman said.

Ruakākā resident Tui Roman snr is pleased vacated houses slated for high-density replacement are now being renovated. Photo / Denise Piper

Murray confirmed the 50-home Ruakākā project would not be going ahead in its build 2025/26 build programme but said there is potential for it to be assessed again in future programmes.

Nine of the 16 existing homes are currently vacant, and repairs are under way in five of these homes so they can be tenanted again, he said.

“Our dedicated placement teams will start the re-tenanting process once repairs are complete, ensuring local need is prioritised.”

Murray would not say what the budget is for the renovations, nor what new tenants are being told about the potential for development.

Roman said she feared further disruption a few years down the line, if the proposal is brought to light again.

“Is this going to happen again, where they [tenants] are going to get bullied out again after getting comfortable? It was heart-wrenching for the tenants having to move out after 40 years.”

While the disruption caused anxiety for residents, Roman admitted many moved to a new development further down Peter Snell Rd and are now well settled.

Another neighbour, John Bennett, is also worried if the upgraded homes will be tenanted long-term.

He has also raised concerns about the costs spent on the development - with Kāinga Ora spending nearly $900,000 - plus the cost of the repairs.

Murray said $882,000 was spend on the planning, design and consenting for the Ruakākā proposal. This cost, of $17,640 per unit, was budgeted for and compares favourably with similar redevelopment projects of this scale.

A further $13,000 was spent on community engagement, including venue hire, advertising and mail drops.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.