Te Pākau Maru — New Brighton housing development

Building homes and strengthening community in New Brighton.

A wave of revitalisation is sweeping through New Brighton, reshaping the suburb into a vibrant, people-focused destination. The New Brighton Regeneration Project (NBRP), led by economic development agency ChristchurchNZ on behalf of Christchurch City Council, is at the heart of this transformation – using strategic public and private investment to breathe new life into the area.

Amanda Healy, Acting General Manager of Urban Development at ChristchurchNZ, says people have always been the focus.

“We knew that ultimately it would be people who bring life and growth back to New Brighton,” she says. “That vision is now becoming reality, with housing developments like Te Pākau Maru on Beresford Street taking shape and contributing to a stronger local community.”

Part of a bigger plan

The regeneration effort began with public investment in iconic foreshore attractions like the state-of-the-art playground and He Puna Taimoana hot pools, which successfully drew people back to the area.

“That created a magnet,” says Healy. “Those projects attracted foot traffic and interest, and we complemented them by supporting local businesses and paving the way for more housing to bring people closer to the action.”

Among these initiatives is Seaview – a 75-home, mixed residential development on a 1.6-hectare site fronting Seaview and Hawke Streets. Like Te Pākau Maru, it reflects a wider strategy to deliver high-quality, people-oriented housing that fits within a thriving, connected community.

A purpose-driven development

Now, as New Brighton evolves, Te Pākau Maru is emerging as a model of socially driven urban development. This multi-stage housing project, led by not-for-profit developer Kāinga Maha, supports the NBRP’s broader goals of community wellbeing and economic regeneration through thoughtful design.

Kāinga Maha – meaning Many Homes – is the development arm of the Home Foundation group—a collective of organisations united by their vision for a just housing system where quality homes enable flourishing communities. Under the leadership of Annie Wilson, Kāinga Maha takes a purpose-first approach to development.

“We essentially take raw land and build houses. But unlike the conventional approach, we look at solutions through a social lens,” says Wilson.

ChristchurchNZ sold the Beresford Street site to Kāinga Maha in April 2022, confident that their values aligned with the community-focused intent of the regeneration plan.

“Kāinga Maha’s commitment to social impact made them a natural choice, this is a fantastic example of residential development that’s meeting the needs of the community.”

Amanda Healy - ChristchurchNZ

Tailored to local needs

Before drafting any plans, Kāinga Maha began by listening to the people who live and work in New Brighton.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach,” says Wilson. “We always start by asking: what does this community really need?”

In New Brighton, that meant identifying a shortage of affordable rental housing for key workers – like teachers, police officers, and public servants – alongside a desire for homeownership pathways, particularly for Pasifika families.

“There was a clear demand for high-quality, affordable, and sustainable homes – both for sale and for rent,” Wilson adds.

What’s being built

Te Pākau Maru comprises 63 one, two, and three-bedroom homes across three parcels of land, offering a mix of housing types to meet varying income levels and household needs.

Affordable rentals are set at 80% of market rate.
Five homes are available through a progressive home ownership model, requiring just 65% mortgage financing.

Sustainability is also a key feature: mechanical ventilation systems ensure warmth and energy efficiency, and all homes are built above minimum elevation standards to address the site’s coastal inundation and tsunami overlay.

Amanda Healy, ChristchurchNZ

Annie Wilson, Kāinga Maha

Mata’afā Florence Malama, Acting Deputy Secretary, Commissioning & Partnerships, Ministry for Pacific Peoples

Corina MacKenzie, resident

Community from the ground up

Te Pākau Maru comprises 63 one, two, and three-bedroom homes across three parcels of land, offering a mix of housing types to meet varying income levels and household needs.

Affordable rentals are set at 80% of market rate.

Five homes are available through a progressive home ownership model, requiring just 65% mortgage financing.

Supporting first-time buyers

Through its progressive home ownership programme, Kāinga Maha supports whānau – most of them first-time buyers – with financial mentorship and a 15-year pathway to ownership.

“It means we can provide genuinely affordable homeownership pathways to whānau – not just at the point of purchase, but ongoing support to help them succeed,” Wilson says.

For Corina MacKenzie, a single mother of two, Te Pākau Maru has been life-changing. “The house is super affordable, super warm and dry,” she says. Her daughters love having their own rooms and being close to their mum. “Every morning, they run in and jump on the bed for a cuddle.”

The wider location has made a difference too. “Parks, the library, the beach – they’re all so close. What I’ve really noticed is how friendly everyone is... It feels like a really supportive little community.”

A vision becoming reality

Wilson says Te Pākau Maru shows how inclusive, mixed-tenure communities can thrive when built with intention.

“You can have affordable home ownership and affordable rentals next to market-sale housing and market rentals – and that makes for a flourishing place,” she says.

Amanda Healy agrees. “With housing like Te Pākau Maru and Seaview complementing our earlier public investments, we’re now seeing the private sector and community groups pick up on that momentum. New Brighton is on the cusp of something great – and it’s exciting to see what comes next.”