Napier council housing: Residents given five months to leave three villages
Three council-owned villages (pictured) near Napier CBD are set to hit the market in late June. Photo / NZME
Residents living in three council-owned villages in Napier have been given five months to vacate as the council prepares to sell off 72 homes.
A couple in their 90s who have lived in one of the homes for 20 years don’t want to leave, but say it now appears inevitable they will have to.
The Napier City Council notified residents this week that they will need to leave by November 1.
The three villages – Carlyle Place Village (32 units), Wellesley Place Village (28 units) and Nelson Place Village (12 units) – are all close to the Napier CBD.
At present, 43 of the 72 homes are tenanted, totalling 69 people.
It was revealed last month that the three villages would be sold as vacant properties rather than with the tenants remaining.
The council says it is working with each affected tenant to find a new home.
The main reason for the sale is a financial shortfall.
The council says it costs more to maintain its affordable housing portfolio than what it generates in rental income, with a shortfall of about $2.5 million per year picked up by ratepayers.
The council owns 12 villages around the city, with 377 homes.
It considered selling its entire housing portfolio in 2022 but decided against that option after a public outcry.
The council then decided in 2024 to sell three of the villages.
They are expected to go on the market in late June and, according to a 2022 valuation, have a market value of $21.8m.
The three villages house a mix of retirees and low-income earners.
For those aged over 60, options include moving into another council village.
Nineteen people are in the process of securing units in the council’s other villages.
The council did not say how many more people would be offered places in other council villages, but added it was dependent on “availability and necessary maintenance” on some units.
Impacted tenants are also being connected with the Ministry of Social Development and “other partner agencies”.
Larry and Lois Laurent, who are both in their 90s and have lived at Nelson Place Village (off Nelson Crescent) for two decades, said they loved living in their two-bedroom house.
“This is home to us,” Lois said.
“We don’t want to shift. It is lovely here.”
She said the village’s closeness to the city centre made it practical for the couple to access shops and medical services.
Larry said it was “a shame at our time of life we have to start again somewhere”.
He said the community in the village was close-knit and they had enjoyed living there. Their daughter also lives in one of the council apartments.
However, he said it was clear now that they would have to leave.
He said the council had been communicating with them directly, and they would cope in a single-bedroom apartment in another council village, if that was available.
A challenge will be shifting their possessions and deciding what to put in storage, as most apartments in the remaining villages are one-bedroom.
Larry said he would have liked to see the council allow tenants to stay in their homes until they were sold, because there was no guarantee they would sell. He said the process could take years.
The Laurents recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary and prefer to remain together in independent living while they’re both alive, rather than go into a retirement village.
Napier Mayor Richard McGrath said the council had been providing updates to tenants since a decision was made in 2024 to sell the three villages.
“The requirement is for landlords to give at least 90 days’ written notice.
“The last day of tenancies is 1 November, and we are working directly with our tenants to help find homes for them.”
He acknowledged it was a challenging process.
“Our staff are doing their very best to work with tenants to find solutions.
“No matter how much warning and explanation is provided, we understand that housing is an area that will always be emotive.
“Throughout, we have been committed to ensuring tenants have homes, and our staff are working very hard on this.”
Tenants currently pay between $210 and $326 in rent each week.
Other residents spoken to by Hawke’s Bay Today have questioned whether the council could break even if they kept all the flats occupied.
That includes one resident, Robyn McCracken, who has terminal cancer and is unsure how she will manage shifting and clearing her home, given her health.
The council has previously said that even if all units were occupied, the rent would not cover the costs.
Funds from the sale of the three villages will be reinvested in the remaining housing portfolio.