Six spots have been suggested for fast-track housing developments in Hamilton.

The six could provide more than 2000 new homes.

They include the former Porter Group site, an old sand quarry, and a patch of empty land between the edge of Melville and an industrial site.

Hamilton City Council asked for site suggestions after finalising a special housing area (SHA) policy, which allows for a speedier consent process and higher density developments.

An 80-home proposal for Jebson Place in Hamilton East will go straight to the Government for approval, following city councillors' vote at a Wednesday meeting.

The site was previously full of boarded-up state homes which Councillor Paula Southgate described as "pretty awful".

The Jebson Place development would be a partnership between Housing NZ and Waikato-Tainui, the latter aiming to make 10 to 20 per cent of the homes affordable.

Staff recommended sending the plan straight to the Government because it was a detailed, fully formed proposal, economic growth and planning unit manager Luke O'Dwyer said.

It was also similar to plans for which council had already granted resource consent, without public notification.

The other five proposals need more work, staff said, and councillors voted to let staff continue.

Once an SHA is declared, it can't be appealed in court, O'Dwyer told councillors, so getting it right is essential.

Among the proposals, the two largest sites could provide about 1000 houses each, and Jebson Place and one other had a social housing component.

"I'm delighted with where we're heading here," Mayor Andrew King said.

"We've got several thousand houses here, proposed, and there will be more to follow. This will fill the hole in the market in the next one to five years, while we're waiting to break open our next growth cell."

Issues raised by other councillors included affordability, making high-density developments attractive, the desirability of living in one, and the effects on nearby residents or businesses.

One of the biggest applications was for 800 to 1000 homes in northwest Rotokauri that came from Green Seed Ltd.

The site is south of Te Kowhai Road, a council report said, and a special housing area would get development there "well ahead of the timeframes identified in the [long-term plan]".

Two applications were received from Perry Developments for its Te Awa Lake plans in the Horotiu area - one for 1000 homes and another for 100.

The Perry site is bordered by Te Rapa Bypass, the Waikato River and Hutchinson Road, council's report said.

Perry Group has also filed a private plan change for an adventure park and housing development on the site, which Cr Geoff Taylor said was a game-changer coming from private money.

Social housing featured in a Melville proposal from Gallagher Charitable Trust and Habitat for Humanity.

It suggested 42 houses in a Tawa Street site which is currently zoned industrial - a mix of "social rental, affordable private rental and home ownership".

The former Porter site in Te Rapa could accommodate 186 homes, according to the applicant, Porter Developments.

The homes would include duplexes, terraced dwellings, four-bedroom homes, and apartments, a council report says.

And Hamilton Lake could get another 56 duplex and detached homes under an application from Foster Developments.

The proposed site is between the Gilbass Avenue residential area and a storage yard for relocatable houses, a council report said.

Councillors voted unanimously to send the Jebson Place proposal to the Minister for Building and Construction.

They also voted unanimously to allow staff to further evaluate and seek public feedback on the other proposals.

Cr Angela O'Leary was absent and Cr Rob Pascoe is on leave.

What is a special housing area?

* A tool to help boost housing supply

* Defined areas - can be greenfield (being developed for urban purposes for the first time) or brownfield (ie, infill)

* Chosen by councils and approved by Government

* Give developers "more permissive and faster resource consent and planning processes"

* Provided for by the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act 2013 (HASHA Act)