Portable homes for quake-displaced
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Christchurch Earthquake 2011
A day for Christchurch to remember
Three hundred portable homes will be built in temporary villages across Canterbury next month.
The portable dwellings will provide temporary accommodation to Christchurch residents whose homes were badly damaged in the September 4 or February 22 earthquakes.
Three kiwi-based companies were selected to provide the temporary accommodation.
A consortium of Hawkins/Spanbild/Fulton Hogan; Jennian Homes; and New Zealand Transportable Units were the chosen providers out of 226 submissions to the Department of Building and Housing.
Housing Minister Phil Heatley said, "it's great to see New Zealand based companies able to step up to provide accommodation that will help to house people whose own homes need repair."
The portable homes will be available for up to two years and local Councils and Civil Defence have chosen many sites for the temporary villages, including Linwood Park, Rawhiti Domain and a site yet to be confirmed in Burwood.
A possible site in Kaiapoi was also being discussed with the Waimakariri Council.
The temporary dwellings can be used on private sections if residents can meet certain criteria. The land and access to the section must be suitable, the placement must be for a minimum of six months and the homeowner would need to meet some installation costs.
The homes will be of varying sizes and configurations. Some will be fully self-contained units sleeping six people, while othes would be sleep-out laundry or bathroom units that could be placed on private sections.
The Temporary Accommodation Service said it would work with Christchurch people on a case by case basis to match them to the most appropriate option.
Portable home rental costs would be $190 per week for two people, $271 per week for four people and $337 per week for six people.
"Now as building inspections are completed and people begin the process of repairing or rebuilding their homes we are doing our best to predict what the need for housing is likely to be. Our aim is to keep temporary accommodation availability ahead of demand from those unable to find housing privately," Heatley said.
Homeowners or tenants with contents insurance would be eligible for temporary accommodation support from their insurer to offeset rental costs, said Heatley. Insurance policies generally provide support for at least six months.
"When this support lapses, but a homeowner or tenant's primary dwelling is still uninhabitable, they will be eligible for rental subsidies under the Government's Temporary Accommodation Service," Heatley said.
Three other companies, Smith Crane, Hawkins Falcon and Tranzasia, were chosen to provide further supply if it was required.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Re Comment Realist # 1....Your comments are the most balanced yet i.e. "A CHIP ON EACH SHOULDER." sh*te from on high. Most of us people want to be around or near their existing areas to ensure continuity of their community and keep abreast of its reconstruction, both physically and mentally.
Our house has to be knocked over and built again. I would far sooner the temp house was in the general area I currently live in. I want to stay in my neighbourhood.
If I wanted to live in the west I would have brought a house over there in the first place.
What is market rental for a sleep out in Linwood park? I bags one close to the toilet... #4 Do people always work in the same area they live in?
by keeping and potentially increasing the number of people in the worst affected areas there will be the very real increase of traffic in these areas, on roads that are in a precarious state and as such when works begin, you will have massive congestion and numerous hazards. Pure common sense has failed in this regard as reducing the use and impact on these areas would bode for a faster more efficient and effective remediation to infrastructure. Or are we to assume that this is a case of putting the temporary housing in these areas as their is little to no chance of some of these and areas close by ever being repaired as as such leaving the other zones clear for development of permanent residences for the affected parties to then move into?
Or perhaps whingers they could have just done nothing.
Maybe they will be in the said areas so that children can stay close to their schools, kindy's, adults their workplaces, they don't have to find extra petrol money, think of that?
Why not requisition all the needed rental on the market at the moment, would be more cost effective.
There are better options than this and considerably cheaper to the end user.
How about placing some in Jellipark fendalton,Burnside Rugby Field, the vacant lot on the corner of memorial and russley, at least then people will be located close to amentities (hornby / avonside etc)Nope instead it appears that Government and obviously a section of the in crowd would prefer to have these located to the eastern areas, where roading has been affected greater, services are under greater strain etc. At least if these were located in the Fendalton/ Avonhead / Burnside area I am sure their would be a greater drive and wish to have work sorted in the eastern zones.
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At the rental rates proposed you are better off owning a Steel Constructed Modular Home, which is earthquake proof, fully self contained with full kitchen, 2 bedrooms, toilet, bathroom, laundry, vanity, and fully transportable for $47k. Placed on your own section with existing water and sanitary services connected once repaired by Council and can be on sold for a Capital Gain once your house is repaired or rebuilt. These units have a full pack back in 5 years based on current bank fixed interest rates.