Kāinga Ora spent over $24m of taxpayer money on its own office renovations

Despite thousands of state homes not meeting healthy homes standards, Newshub can reveal Kāinga Ora’s spent millions doing up its own offices.

While Housing Minister Megan Woods says that’s a good thing because it means the agency is growing, National doesn’t agree.

Kāinga Ora’s spent $24,354,759 of taxpayer money over the past four years on itself on office renovation.

The biggest spend ups were in the last financial year:

• $230,661 went on signs
• $829,797 on a complete fit-out and renovation in Christchurch
• $5.5 million for a complete fit-out of the Newmarket offices
• $12 million on a total renovation of its Wellington headquarters.

“I think New Zealanders will struggle to see why this Government is prioritising multi-million-dollar upgrades for swanky new offices,” says National’s housing spokesperson Nicola Willis.