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Māori Housing Minister Peeni Henare has released the implementation plan for MAIHI Ka Ora, the National Māori Housing Strategy, which commits to building 1000 houses for Māori.
The Associate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) delivered the plan at the annual MAIHI Whare Wānanga in Te Tai Tokerau on Friday.
“Over the past year, our teams at Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga and Te Puni Kōkiri have worked with iwi, hapū and Māori organisations to take the shared aspirations of MAIHI Ka Ora – and develop an Implementation Plan that shows how we can partner together to turn those aspirations into better housing outcomes for whānau,” Henare said in a statement.
‘Last year, we launched our National Māori Housing strategy – MAIHI Ka Ora. It promised partnership, investment and progress. Our implementation plan clearly steps out how we will achieve our long-term goal of ensuring that all whānau have safe, healthy affordable homes with secure tenure, across the Māori housing continuum."
Henare says the plan addresses some of the tough issues surrounding Māori housing.
“This implementation plan does not shy away from tackling some of the biggest issues facing Māori Housing and instead outlines how Māori and the Crown can work together to overcome some of the barriers Māori face when utilising their land and resources for housing.
“The implementation plan looks at making improvements to programmes like Kainga Whenua loans so the support that the housing support Government provides serves Māori better."
Henare outlined some of the detail of the commitment to Māori housing under MAIHI Ka Ora.
“It commits to building 1000 houses, supporting the infrastructure of 2,700 new house builds and repairing 700 whānau-owned homes – all through the Whai Kainga, Whai Oranga Programme,” he said.
Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson added that the plan supported a 'by Māori for Māori approach'.
“The Implementation Plan is grounded in a strong Māori Crown partnership – this reflects our commitment to doing things differently, to admitting that the Crown does not always have all the answers and that sometimes those answers sit with the people, Jackson said.
"This Implementation Plan acknowledges the Crown’s role in supporting Māori to take a by Māori for Māori approach – because this is how we getting better housing outcomes for our whānau.”