New homes blessed at St John's Featherston

Around 65 people gathered at St John's Featherston on Sunday 4 August for the blessing of three new homes built on the parish's own land.

The project demonstrates the Diocese of Wellington’s response to addressing Aotearoa's housing crisis.

The service marked the completion of two two-bedroom dwellings and one three-bedroom dwelling, built by Bedrock Housing, the Diocesan housing arm that has now built or supported the build of up to 21 homes across the region.

Leading the dedication, Reverend Philippa Young told the congregation the new homes speak to something at the heart of the Gospel.

"These homes are a witness to Jesus' concern for the wellbeing of all," she said. "Here in Featherston we can be proud of these locally built, quality homes."

Two of the three dwellings are already occupied. A young single parent with a new baby has moved into one home, with the baby's grandparents settled next door to offer daily support. Both families are active members of the parish community, and the arrangement has meant they've been able to stay rooted in Featherston rather than being pushed out by the pressures of the housing market.

More than homes, the new houses provide the chance for whānau to remain close to the people and community that sustain them.

All three homes were also built to a high standard of energy performance and has proved timely, with a run of hard frosts settling over the Wairarapa in recent weeks. These warm, efficient homes have made a real difference for the families living in them.

The development sees parish land used for reducing the housing hardship faced by people in our communities. By putting spare parish land to good use, the congregation has helped turn an underused asset into much-needed housing for their own community.

Rev Philippa reflected. "We had the land, and together we've been able to offer real, lasting support to families who needed it."

The Featherston dedication adds to a growing list of Bedrock Housing projects across the Diocese, each one built on the same conviction: that churches sitting on spare or underused land are well placed to help meet one of the country's most pressing needs.

The homes complete the development of the St John’s site after the church was rebuilt - and completed in August last year.