Residents happy to be home in new DCC Community Housing units

The housing redevelopment project to replace the four former units from the early 1900s began in 2024. Construction was finalised last month, and the new tenants have now been moved into their new homes.

DCC Group Manager Property Services Anna Nilsen says the new community housing units are a vast improvement on the previous units and the tenants are thrilled with their new lodgings.

“The previous housing units in Fitzroy Street had become aged and not-fit-for-purpose, so we deconstructed them to make way for new, modern and accessible homes better suited to our tenants’ needs,” Ms Nilsen says.

Breen Construction, based in Dunedin, was the lead contractor for the construction of the units and was selected following a competitive open-market tender process. Breen Construction managed to build the new units at a cost of $1.475 million – significantly less than its original budget of $2.01 million.

The new houses are modern, warm and compliant with healthy homes legislation – and have a few additional features to maximise comfort and warmth.

“The flats will be much warmer thanks to improved insulation, double-glazing, and efficient heat pumps,” she says.

The heat improvements should result in a decrease in electricity use making energy costs more manageable and affordable for the tenants, Ms Nilsen says.

“Four tenants have just moved into their units, and they couldn’t be happier. It brought a lot of joy to me and the housing team to get this project over the line and help these members of our community.”

The houses have been designed with Universal Design Principles in mind to ensure they are more accessible for those with specific or higher care needs. They feature support railings in the bathrooms and a larger, open plan layout.

“Some of these tenants struggled in our other units, so it’s great to be able to provide a more supportive living environment and ensure a better quality of life.”

The new units at Fitzroy Street bring the number of units in the DCC’s community housing portfolio to 940 across 92 sites throughout Dunedin city, Mosgiel and Port Chalmers. Community houses are available for those with limited financial resources, and applicants are approved based on their priority and housing needs.

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