ISSUE 37 | MAY 2026

In this issue, learn how our projects are moving faster and more cost-effectively, all while becoming easier to manage.

Kia ora koutou,

In December, our Chief Executive Tracey Taylor shared how Kāinga Ora is moving from its reset into a period of true transformation. This edition of Development and Construction Matters provides a quick glance at what that transformation looks like.

It’s only a snapshot – a small fraction of the work we do every day – and yet it shows how significantly and continually we make a difference for thousands of Kiwi households.

And when I say we are making that difference, I mean us – it includes you, because without our industry partners we wouldn’t be able to deliver on the objectives we’ve set out to achieve.

Our renewals programme is a fantastic example of that, and I’m proud of the teams who have worked tirelessly to complete our 3,500th retrofit. You’ll see below what that means for our tenant Okeroa and his family in Gisborne, and theirs are just a few of the thousands of lives changed because of the mahi we do together to build brighter futures for our communities.

Led by my colleague Nick Howcroft, our Urban Development and Delivery teams are also making significant strides of their own. His teams are making it easier for developers to grow their pipeline through our ongoing land sales opportunities, and infrastructure projects are progressing faster thanks to a shift to an in-house delivery model.

And connecting all of our work – everything you’ll read about in this newsletter – is a simple theme, and another point Tracey made when she wrote to you in December: that you can expect a Kāinga Ora that is simpler to work with.

In everything we do, we’re moving faster thanks to clearer structures, simplified processes, greater transparency and stronger accountability.

Your contributions have helped us achieve this progress, and I look forward to continuing to work with you as we keep shaping a stronger Kāinga Ora.

Ngā mihi nui,

Caroline McDowall
General Manager - Housing Delivery

Land purchase provides ‘clarity and certainty’

Buying land on the open market meant Kevin Tian often came up against “long negotiations, fragmented ownership and planning uncertainty”.

But when his team at Field Homes became one of our UDD Land Sales partners, he instead found “clarity and certainty” – and as a result, they’re already delivering 15 new homes on a 2,600sqm site recently purchased through Oranga Development.

Kevin says partnering with Kāinga Ora meant being able to focus on design, planning, and delivery, rather than navigating zoning risks or complex land assembly.

“Overall, the structured process gave us greater confidence to move quickly and focus on what we do best – building well-designed homes for the community.”

Retrofit records hit: 3,500 homes renewed

For Gisborne tenant Okeroa, moving into a newly-retrofitted home “has made a huge difference for me and my family”.

“We noticed the change straight away,” he says.

His new home is cosy when it’s cold outside, and cooler in warmer weather. An open and modern shower has replaced an old bath combo, making it safer for his children and easier on his arthritis.

“The new kitchen feels clean, solid, and safe to use,” he says. “Overall, the home is easier to look after, and it’s made a real difference to how we live.”

On top of that, Okeroa’s previous home is part of an important milestone for our renewals programme – it’s the 3,500th home to have its retrofit completed. In the South Island, we’ve also completed our 1,000th renovation under the programme.

That means thousands of build partners, contractors and suppliers in ongoing work – and in work that has significantly improved the wellbeing of thousands of tenants and their whānau across the country.

Fast, flexible, consistent: Kāinga Ora-led infrastructure projects build momentum as alliance milestone reached

As our in‑house approach to infrastructure delivery accelerates, our final alliance‑led project has hit a major milestone.

In Auckland’s Roskill Development, contractors have completed a significant stage of upgrade works on Richardson Road – the final project to be delivered through our partnership with LEAD Alliance.

The works increase wastewater and stormwater capacity for the Waikōwhai neighbourhood, connect to Watercare’s Central Interceptor, and link to our infrastructure recently completed in Molley Green Reserve – all supporting planned growth and enabling new homes within our large-scale project.

With the project moving into a new stage, it will continue to support jobs and provide a steady pipeline for contractors delivering the work on behalf of LEAD and Kāinga Ora.

The milestone also comes as we strengthen our approach to delivering infrastructure, shifting from the alliance model to a more integrated, in‑house approach – making us more flexible, consistent and faster to progress contracts, enabling physical works to start sooner.

Two directly managed infrastructure projects are already under way in Te Rā Nui and providing strong results, with new physical works contracts starting in Tāmaki and in planning across Mount Roskill and Māngere – sustaining momentum and supporting ongoing work for the infrastructure businesses who partner with us.

Strengthening delivery with our national supply agreements

Reliable supply chains, consistent product quality and transparent costs.

These are just some of the benefits we’re delivering through our national supply agreements (NSAs) – helping you save time, plan with certainty, and focus on the work that helps us deliver great outcomes for Kiwi communities.

Our 14 NSAs secure the key materials and products needed to build and maintain Kāinga Ora homes, backed by nationwide consistency in standards and fixed annual pricing. This means clearer forward planning for contractors and subcontractors, fewer surprises during delivery, and stronger resilience across the supply chain.

We’re committed to long‑term, mutually beneficial partnerships that support sustainable national delivery. Our suppliers span core categories including paint, flooring, roofing, plumbing, electrical supplies, ventilation, appliances and curtains – providing stability and clarity for every build.

By strengthening how materials are sourced, we’re making it easier for our industry partners to do their best work, reduce risk, and maintain momentum across projects nationwide.

What does this mean for me?
If you’re a current Kāinga Ora build or maintenance partner, you’ll have already heard from our Development Team to discuss what this means for your pipeline of work. If you have questions or would like to discuss further, email supplychain@kaingaora.govt.nz

Standardised designs: how our homes are becoming faster and easier to build

As we renew and replace our older state homes, we’re using standardised plans to deliver new builds quickly and cost-effectively.

These plans have been developed alongside our build partners and design consultants – and we’ve already heard that they’re making our homes faster and easier to build.

We’re continuing to refine our standardised designs, guided by your feedback, to reduce costs and improve efficiency without compromising the quality and longevity of our homes.

In other news:

• In Mount Roskill, our teams and community partners brought more than 600 people together in Murray Halberg Park to enjoy food trucks, kids’ stalls, face painting and lawn games. With 470 new homes now completed in Ōwairaka and another 700 on their way under Roskill Development, events like these are helping to cement the park as a central community hub.
   

• For Sarah, Mike and their two children, life looks a lot different than it did just a few years ago. After having to move out of their private rental, the Timaru couple struggled to find a new family home until they were matched with a Kāinga Ora property in 2018. The stability helped them eventually become debt free, and this year they were able to buy their first home with the help of a Kāinga Ora First Home Loan.
   

• Eight new homes in Nelson and 26 more in Feilding are bringing fresh opportunities for whānau in these communities. Another 18 are under construction in Nelson, due to be completed in the coming months. In Feilding, the new homes were delivered in partnership with GL Corporation Limited and Isles Construction, utilising our standardised designs.
   

• As our infrastructure work reaches new milestones on Richardson Road, Mount Roskill, so too do our plans to deliver more social homes for the community. We’re proposing 27 new units for the street, all of which will be built using our standardised designs.