Small but mighty: Wellington’s newest affordable apartments

Wednesday, 5 November 2025

In Wellington, apartment-hunters might want

but usually they only get to pick two.

The city’s newest Te Kāinga building, opening this summer, is making a play for all three.

The new building in Boulcott St is only a minute’s walk from a supermarket and the bustle of Willis St. It’s so new it still has that ‘new building’ smell.

The Wellington City Council development adds 80 apartments to the city’s growing pool of low-market rentals — eight studios, 61 one-bedroom apartments, eight two-bedroom apartments and three three-bedroom homes.

Rents start from $455 a week for a one-bedroom apartment, offering a rare chance to live in the heart of the city without the usual price tag.

It brings the total number of Te Kāinga homes to 370 across Wellington — part of the council’s ongoing push to make central living affordable for inner city residents.

As Wellington's new mayor Andrew Little was shown through Te Kāinga’s latest building, he stopped to admire a closet. It was a small moment, but telling - work has gone into making sure residents will have what they need.

Even to the point of making it pet friendly ‒ for cats and fish ‒ well before the law changes in December.

And once you are on the upper floors, the apartments have quite the view across the harbour ‒ views you would normally have to pay big bucks for.

Included in the price is free wi-fi, free whiteware and and a free recycling/refuse collection.

Te Kāinga Te Puna will be the fifth building in Wellington City Council’s affordable housing programme.

It’s proving popular before it even opens. Potential tenants are due to begin going through on Wednesday and 60 appointments to view have already been booked ‒ tenants could be moving in before Christmas.

Across all the Te Kāinga buildings, where tenants are most often in their 20s and 30s with a mix of single and couples, there is a 94% tenancy rate. The one bedroom units are the most popular.

Little said it was very impressive.

“There's a real demand for places like this … great to have people who can live their lives and be right in the city centre. It's great for the city and the businesses.”

He said Te Kāinga was the council's effort with developers to create affordable rental spaces for Wellingtonians.

“It's different from social housing, so these are people who are paying their rent and fully responsible for the tenancy that they're part of, and it pitches to a range of incomes and lifestyles. So it's low to middle income folks, but they're good, liveable, presentable dwellings to be in and close to the city.”

Little said one of the things they were keen to see was more people living in and close to the city.

“That's the stuff that's going to help businesses in the city and retail, hospitality, but also add life to the city. It means that there are more people out enjoying the green spaces and the facilities that are in the city itself. It's the stuff that adds life to the city.”