Housing: don't leave Ruahine St empty

Social housing at Pinehill Cres in Heretaunga.

News that the Ruahine Street and Rimutaka Street Housing NZ properties will be removed due to failing to meet modern earthquake standards was not unexpected. The risk now is that the sites remain empty for years, when they could be put to good use.

Housing New Zealand's mixed housing development in Pomare is currently underway. They say that:

The mix of homes will deliver choice, there will be social rental housing, affordable homes aimed at first home buyers and larger family homes.

A similar development at Pinehill Cresent in Heretaunga (behind the old CIT) shows how successful such developments are at delivering better quality housing for Kiwi families.

I would like to see Ruahine St be another such development. Not only will that generate jobs locally, it will also provide warm, drier houses able to withstand Wellington's earthquakes.