About the Windrush Emergency Housing development
I’m delighted to share with you the details of Monte Cecilia Housing Trust’s multi-million dollar emergency housing development at Windrush Close in Mangere.
A project of this size and scope is unprecedented in the not-for-profit emergency housing sector in New Zealand. However the impact of homelessness on families, their communities and the prosperity of our country is impossible to ignore.
Our team at Monte Cecelia has worked directly with thousands of parents and children in desperate need of a home. In recent years we’ve experienced first-hand the alarming growth in demand for our services, so we decided that we could no longer wait for intervention from others to address the shortfall of temporary housing.
Our new Windrush facility will provide warm, safe and secure homes for some of the most vulnerable families in our community. It will make a huge difference to both their immediate wellbeing, and their chances of having long-term housing security in the future.
The facility has been designed to provide a safe environment for families, help parents care for sick children, support parents to get the skills they need to achieve long-term housing stability, and provide easy access to support services.
The complex will include 30 two-bedroom units, secure family facilities including a playground and BBQ area, training facilities for parents working towards gaining long-term housing and on-site offices for Monte Cecilia staff so they’re easily accessible to support the families.
The build is now underway, and the facility will be ready for our first families to move in before coldest part of winter hits next year.
This development represents our wider commitment to support the most vulnerable members of our society, and we couldn’t do it without your on-going support.
Thank you.
- Bernie Smith, CEO
Key Figures
two-bedroom units
month build programme
investment
children’s playground
families can be housed a year
training rooms
Monte support staff on-site
commitment from Government to lease back units
units suitable for families with accessibility needs
Partners and supporters of the Windrush development
Jim & Mae Weir family
$870,000
Anonymous
$500,000
Sky City
$125,000
David Levene Foundation
$15,000
Ministry of Housing & Urban Development
$8.65 Million Loan
Ted Manson Trust
$60,000
AAA Family Trust
$50,000
Catholic Caring Foundation
$200,000
Timeline
June 2018
Demolition of present site
September 2018
Construction Begins
October 2018
First concrete slab
November 2018
Eighteen apartments progressing well with first block of six roof on.
December 2018
rush now on as count down to Christmas closure begins
January 2019
Early Jan great progress is seen on site in spite of Christmas closure
February 2019
Last building to be commenced - our offices
March 2019
making great progress toward August opening in spite of $50,000+ damage created over one weekend
April 2019
Internal cladding & painting commenced of first block of 6 apartments
May 2019
Building construction still on target & looking great
June 2019
12months since demolition
July 2019
Eight weeks to opening
August 2019
Mid Winter Progress is slow
September 2019
Only five weeks till official opening
October2019
A Big Month for Monte Cecilia Housing Trust

June 2018
Start of demolition work onsite

June 2018
Demolition in progress

June 2018
Demolition continued

June 2018

June 2018

June 2018

First construction Meeting
Mother Mary was given hard hat to protect her from falling objects as she watched the site for us night & day

October 2018
Concrete slab pour for the first block of 6 apartments

October 2018
Second and third apartment slab pour and first block framing arrived today, 23 October

October 2018

October 2018

25 October 2018
First three bottom floor apartment's framing going up

25 October 2018

25 October 2018

November 2018

November 2018

November 2018

November 2018
First 6 Apartments roof on & cladding progressing

December 2018
Construction gearing up ready for Christmas closure

December 2018
10 Dec doors & windows beginning to be put in first block of 6

December 2018
22 apartments in progress

December 2018
office block foundation waiting on concrete

8 January
A block of 6 apartments

16 January
12 apartments windows & doors about to go in

19 January
Finally framing for office block & last three apartments arrive at site

22 January
Bricks & more bricks

4 February
Finally office block commences

20 February
Good progress being made

March 4
Brick work almost completed across the site

12 March
Brickwork completed, & first lot of scaffolding comes down

14March
Wall Gibbing commences

March 20
Office block with 3 units on top almost framed up

28 march
Office block with roof trusses now up 7 in place

8 April 2019
Office block almost closed in

15 April
One block of 6 apartments, 3 up and 3 down looking great

17 April
Changing streetscape

18 April
As the construction progresses the streetscape changes

9 May
Haedon & Borko from Ministry of Housing & Urban Design visit development site, note office block behind them progressing well. 3x2 bed apartments second floor

14 May
Solar Panels erected on the roof of three blocks due to generous donation of $70,000 from Jim & Mae Weir & Family

17 May
Two security camera & strobe lighting & alarm system towers to hinder vandalism & theft

22 May
First kitchen just gone in, 30 more to go

4 June
Concrete bench tops going into kitchens

10 June
Handover delayed till 20 August - View of office ground floor & apartments up stairs

18 June
Transformer on site at last

19 June
Power connected to site after much red tape & sleepless nights

20 June
Front hedge & old fencing comes down

June 24
First kitchen Lino laid, and 30 apartments & office facilities to go

28 jUNE
conference & Training rooms now lined

3 July
First stair framing going in to access upper floor & five to go

18 July
Car parking earth works commencing in front of office block

23 July
Concrete Kerbing commences

26 July
Balustrades stat getting fitted to decks

7 August
Mud & water slowing progress

13 August
First concrete foot treads fitted

20 August
Further delays but getting there

2 September
103 cubic meters of concrete commences to be poured for car-parking today

3 September
Now in place doors subdividing conference & training rooms

6 September
First half concrete pour completed

10 September
second major concrete pour drying off

12 September
Final concrete pour office front

17 September
First meeting in new office block 2018/19 AGM with staff & Board

17 September
First meeting in new office block 2018/19 AGM with staff & Board

18 September
New Reception desk installed

24 September
Block Four first to get Council Compliance

30 September
New staff working space

Windrush Streetscape
Almost there landscaping commenced 1 October

4 October
Office Sign Written

8 October
Hydro seeding commences - creates quick grass

10 October
NZ Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern opened our facility joining 180-190 guests on this historic moment. Joining the PM cutting the ribbon was Sister Mary, Elaine, Board Chair Ken, CEO Bernie & Jim's Daughter & grand daughter

10 October
Monte Staff worked hard toward this big day and knew their work was not yet completed with 30 families waiting to get one of these new apartment's

11 October
Staff could begin to move into their new working space at last

30 October
With many families on our Wait Register we had a FULL HOUSE - 30 families in residence by the 30th of the month, 100 children & 40 adults, some came from over crowding, sleeping in cars & from other forms of homelessness
Benefits of Windrush development
This development has more than double the capacity of the previous facility
The development is future-proofed, because the units can be re-purposed as social housing
Having self-contained units – rather than shared facilities – gives vulnerable families and their children control over who they share their spaces with
Resident’s transport costs are minimised because of the development’s proximity to Mangere Shopping Centre
Children released directly from hospital or with other health needs are able to be cared for by their parents in the safety and comfort of their own unit
The on-site training facilities enable parents to gain valuable skills including financial literacy, computer, English as a second language, tenancy and access counselling services
A completely new facility has significant cost benefits because of the reduction in maintenance costs, and provides the ability to consider cost-saving options