Warm & Dry Initiative shifts focus

Work to upgrade the insulation of hundreds of homes is gathering pace.

Insulation foam is sprayed on to the roof cavity above a home at Forfar Courts. The roof had to be removed to get the work done.

It’s all part of an ambitious initiative to keep thousands of properties warm and dry.

About 2200 heat pumps and ventilation systems have been installed at Christchurch City Council/ŌCHT homes as part of the Warm & Dry Initiative, which is managed by ŌCHT.

The installation programme finished in July ahead of a new focus on other ways to improve the thermal seal of hundreds of homes.

The work will bring Council/ŌCHT properties in line with the Government’s Healthy Homes Standards, which community housing providers must meet by July 2023.

The Initiative looks set to meet its targets by the end of 2021.

The Council and ŌCHT own about 2200 properties. About 900 are exempt from minimum insulation standards. Even so, the Initiative is making them warmer with spray-on foam and blow-in fibre insulation.

Skillion roofs were removed at some properties so foam insulation could be applied. Many more have been raised since the first at Veronica Place in November.

A draught stopping programme started in mid-August. Work sealing windows and doors was finished at about 1000 units by December.

The programme has been extended to get thermal curtains into homes that need them.

ŌCHT chief executive Cate Kearney says tenant feedback about the work was heart-warming.

“Not only are they thrilled with the Warm & Dry property improvements, we have received so many compliments about our team and the contractors’ professionalism and personable manner.

“Our recent annual tenant satisfaction survey found 84% of tenants agreed their home is warm, dry and weathertight, up from 59% in 2019.

“Overall 83% perceive the new Warm & Dry initiative is having a positive impact on their lives.”

It is funded by the Council, which borrowed $10 million and contributed $6 million from its Housing Development Fund to apply the initiative to all Council/ŌCHT homes.