Our latest Housing Need survey shows that 759 households in Nelson Tasman need affordable housing as at 30 June 2025, in addition to the 405 households on the Public Housing Register. This is much the same as the previous six-month period, and shows that the need for affordable housing remains high. However, there are plans to build more affordable and social housing in the near future.
Community housing providers such as the Nelson Tasman Housing Trust and state housing provider Kāinga Ora have a significant number of houses in the pipeline in the next two years: in fact, it is the highest level of affordable/social housing provision for Nelson Tasman in 25 years. The Nelson Tasman Housing Trust has 32 homes in development in Nelson and Richmond; Habitat for Humanity has 16 planned in Nelson; and Soho Group/Home in Place is currently building 38 new social housing apartments in Nelson. On top of that, the Salvation Army plans to deliver 80 social housing units in Nelson by 2027, and Kāinga Ora has plans for another 75 homes in 2025-26 on top of 29 it opened in January this year.