Emotional homecoming for new tenants

More than 50 people attended a ceremony on Monday morning marking the completion of six Nelson Tasman Housing Trust homes on Tōtara St.

Trust director Carrie Mozena said people were impressed with the homes, which had been two years in the making.

“A lot of them had tears in their eyes this morning,” she said. “People were saying how grateful they were, and that they couldn’t wait to move in. There were people saying, ‘we have never been able to live in a place that’s new, and as nice as this’.”

It was a good day for Mozena and her team, too.

“I’m rapt. My favourite days at work are when we can say, okay we’ve finished a scheme.”

The 18 tenants had been vetted to ensure they were the right fit for the homes and the area. They had connections to the local community, including having children enrolled at local schools.

They will move in once the homes are granted the final sign off from the council, probably around the middle of November, Mozena said.

The project marks 60 completed homes for the trust, which recently turned 20.

“We have come a long way, but goodness me, there’s a much longer way to go,” Mozena said.

The trust is currently working on a project in Kawai St, and was at the consent stage for more properties in Dodson Valley Rd.

In the longer term, they were looking at developing about a dozen homes a site in Richmond, working towards their goal of doubling their stock to 120 homes by the end of 2028.

It’s an ambitious goal, but Mozena has faith that it’s achievable, in part due to the community around them.

At a recent event celebrating the trust’s two-decade milestone, she took stock of their supporters: community leaders, businesses, organisations and tenants.

“It was a wonderful mix of people who contributed in small or large ways. It embodies what community housing is all about: owned and managed by the community, for the benefit of the community.”

By Warren Gamble, Nelson Mail