A Ventura Street state house that started to float during the Auckland Anniversary floods in 2023. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Kāinga Ora says four state houses that started to float in Auckland's devastating flooding two years ago will be made livable again because of stormwater upgrades.
The homes near Te Ararata Creek in Māngere were still propped up with poles and a former tenant said they did not look fixable, but Kāinga Ora said the upgrades would reduce the risk of repeat flooding.
State housing tenant Kelly Dey had a harrowing escape from her two-storey house when it lifted and tilted, with water coming into the house during the Auckland Anniversary storm in 2023.
She recently drove past the house, in Māngere, which is next to another that also started to float.
"They're still the same. My old house...is still tilting, there hasn't been anything done to it. They've got a big block in the driveway holding up both houses."
Dey said she would not feel comfortable living near the creek again but if stormwater upgrades reduced the flood risk, she hoped it would be safe for others.
Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
She said the four houses that lifted did not look repairable.
"If they're actually doing things so that it doesn't flood again like it did in 2023, then yes it would be good to have other houses. I think that they really should take those four houses down first and rebuild."
Kāinga Ora regional director for Counties Manukau, Angela Pearce, said the four state houses that lifted would be kept and made safe but there was no timeframe for repairs because that is tied into Auckland Council's wider plans to prevent future flooding.
"We are still in the early stages of our Ventura Street reinstatement programme and will follow council guidance on these properties," she said.
"We've been working in partnership with Auckland Council to support infrastructure upgrades specific to this area, which will improve flood resilience to streets and properties around the Te Ararata Creek, including Ventura Street."
Kāinga Ora had so far demolished 47 homes across Auckland and repaired 700 - the agency was not part of the council buyout scheme in which 1116 homes had so far been deemed unsafe to live in.
Auckland Council's recovery office said of the 1116 buyouts, 39 were in Māngere, one of which was on Ventura Street. Five other homes on the street would be livable once the stormwater upgrades were completed.
It said there were 350 homes in Māngere that would be at risk of flooding again if another severe storm hit.
Two projects to reduce the flood risk to those homes have been fast-tracked and will begin in April, at a cost of $53 million co-funded by government.
Culverts and bridges near Te Ararata Stream and Harania Creek would have increased stormwater capacity and debris catchers installed, with the work finishing at the end of next year.
Regional councillor Alf Filipaina said hundreds of homes would be better protected from flooding as a result, in a 100 or 200 year flood.
He said council was working with the state housing agency to ensure any houses made livable again were safe.
"Kāinga Ora have decided to retain them but I just want to make sure that, whether we have another 100 year or 200 or whatever year flood, that we've learned from January in 2023 that it doesn't happen again."
Looking ahead, Kelly Dey wanted Kāinga Ora to be up front about the flood risk with any future tenants.
"If they do build houses on Ventura Street they need to let the tenants know so that the tenants can get contents insurance just incase there is a flood. If I had just known, I would have had contents insurance."
Auckland Council is holding a public meeting at the Anglican Marae Church in Māngere on Thursday night to go over the plans for reducing flood risk in the suburb.
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