PHOTO: The old apartments still to be renovated on the left, while the newly refurbished block is on the right. Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown
Dunedin’s homes have a bad reputation thanks to portrayals such as Scarfies, but the tenants of Kāinga Ora’s refurbished Maitland Street apartments have plenty to look forward to when they move in next month.
Built in the 1960s, the ‘star block’ apartments in Maitland Street are a part of New Zealand’s social housing history.
It was a common style of apartment across the country at the time as New Zealand moved towards medium-density housing.
As the Maitland Street’s apartments are Kāinga Ora’s only star blocks remaining in Dunedin, the decision was made to retain the heart of the building through a process used elsewhere in New Zealand but never before in the South Island – complex remediation.
The first 14 units of the $8 million refurbishment are complete and tenants will soon start moving in.
A refurbished apartment block. Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown
They will only have to cross the courtyard though as they make the move from their current accommodation to allow those 12 units to also be refurbished.
Peter has called the Maitland Street complex home for 25 years.
He said the change was massive, and he was looking forward to a warmer, drier home.
“There’s no comparison – this one’s brilliant,” he said.
“That building has served us well, but it’s past its use-by date and it’s time there was something done to it,” he said, looking out the window of the new complex towards the dingy beige and teal 1960s-era apartments.
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