92 | T T Virginia Wright ‘Property that builds community’ Although Urban Plus operate at lower margins than some developers Tama Street is a for-profit market development. With the Hutt City Council as their sole shareholder and a tag line that reads “property that builds community” it’s clear that Urban Plus is a property management and development company with a remit that goes well beyond a purely financial bottom line. Urban Plus already own and manage a rental housing portfolio of approximately 200 units scattered throughout Lower Hutt City, aimed at housing the lower income elderly. These are provided at below market rent, and they’re in the process of building more. They’ve also recently completed six houses on Tama Street which are now on the market. Although Urban Plus operate at lower margins than some developers Tama Street is a for-profit market development. Any profit made is then recycled into the business which is what allows them to provide the discounted portfolio for the elderly.The Tama Street houses have been built to the New Zealand Green Building Council’s (NZGBC) Homestar Six standard, as per Urban Plus’s statement of intent, which means they’re sustainably built and ecofriendly with lower electricity requirements as a result. All six homes provide three-bedrooms with a family bathroom upstairs each with a bath (good for young families) and a separate toilet downstairs, along with the open-plan kitchen and living area which opens onto north- facing outdoor living space. Design efficiencies include things like thermally broken windows and eco-friendly sourced materials like the carpets, cladding and the paint to name a few. At 110 sqm’s they’re bigger than many similar three bedroom homes in the market and they each have fee simple titles with no body corporate or residents association which many buyers wish to avoid. They have dual access from both Mudie and Tama Street, and they’re five minutes walk from the Ava Train Station. For those wanting some exercise the Hutt River trail is easily joined. Urban Plus has long-standing relationships with stake- holders including the Hutt City Council, community housing providers, sales agents and project consultants. One strand of Urban Plus’s work is to develop and supply new community housing for those providers, who in turn have funding relationships with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD). Urban Plus build the houses to meet the requirements of social housing then sell them to the providers who maintain and operate the housing. They’re nearing completion on a development in Wainuiomata with 17 units, and are always ready to move when the situation with funding to the Community Housing Providers changes. Urban Plus’s portfolio of rentals for BUILDING Urban Plus For superior sca old and edge protection hire that meets your exact requirements. Contact us for a free quote. Your go-to company for all your scaffolding and edge protection solutions. Servicing the Greater Wellington Region with experience and reliability. 0508DIRECT iain@sca olddirect.co.nz www.sca olddirect.co.nz the low-income elderly is set to expand with 18 more single bedroom units in Avalon in its very early stages. Again built to Homestar Six standard, each with a balcony, north- facing and overlooking a council reserve, they promise to offer their tenants a healthy place to live.In the meantime for a young family looking for a home, or a professional couple looking for somewhere to live within easy walking distance of the Lower Hutt CBD, and plenty of room to work remotely, the Tama Street development could be worth a look.
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