Habitat for Humanity pulls out of managing The Grand accommodation in Invercargill

Wednesday, 4 March 2020

Habitat for Humanity will no longer be involved in managing The Grand accommodation in Invercargill.

The former hotel site - on Dee St in Invercargill - provides emergency accommodation.

Habitat for Humanity Invercargill general manager Paul Searancke said it had been managing the building on behalf of its owner Murray Baird.

With more placement options available for emergency accommodation, Searancke said fewer rooms at The Grand were now being used for this. 

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When Habitat for Humanity began managing The Grand, it was home to 220 emergency accommodation occupants. 

The organisation is now focusing on other projects like the Kew Bowl site that has been earmarked for affordable housing. 

'We've still got some work to do around access and infrastructure,' Searancke said.

The organisation is in talks with the Invercargill City Council to nail down these details before moving on to the design phase.

Habitat for Humanity was also eyeing a possible project with the old Takitimu Anglican Home building. 

The organisation was already managing the building on behalf of the owner. 

Searancke declined to say who owned the building. 'We've got a few people who give us significant help who choose not to be in the limelight,' Searancke said. 

It was being used as temporary accommodation for seasonal migrant workers hired by the Alliance Group, Searancke said.  

Making the space available to these workers reduced pressure on Invercargill's already strained rental market, he said.