default-output-block.skip-main
National | Housing

Funding boost helps to repair Māori homes

Te Ngaronoa Pita was one of 49 people whose home has been repaired as part of Te Whānau o Waipareira's commitment to revamp Māori homes in their local community.

A $1.98m increase towards this project was announced in last week's Well-being budget, Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta visited the West Auckland homes to get greater insight.

This is an initiative that is sheltering Māori families who have been living in hardship for a long time.

"It was very cold in our house. The floorboards were broken all around the house and you could feel the winds coming through, but now the whole house has been repaired and now we feel only feel the warmth and from that, the health of my grandchildren has improved as well as mine and my wife," says Pita.

The initiative has also seen major repairs to the properties that have been involved.

Māori Development Minister and Associate Minister for Housing, Nanaia Mahuta says, "Before we came along to help the homes that were wrecked; the windows and walls of the homes - all those things, are fixed now."

Mahuta says the government want to see more initiatives like this across the country.

"Our main focus is to see this example blossom into other Māori communities for our Māori families."

She also says this is a great example that Waipareira and Te Puni Kōkiri have set for other Māori communities.

"If our families see examples like this they will also follow this pathway."

Pita adds that since his home has been repaired his families health has improved.

"My main reason for this is health, the health of my family, the only thing that matters is that my family is healthy."

This is only one initiative that has been boosted under the Māori Development projects in this year's budget.