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National | Housing

Tāmaki Iwi welcome new urban housing agency

The poutaki of Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei Marae, Taiaha Hawke, says the new Housing and Urban Development Authority (HUDA) should build Māori communities.

The Auckland-based iwi, alongside Ngāti Paoa, are keen to partner with the Crown's new agency to provide affordable housing for their beneficiaries.

Hawke says they are relishing the new opportunities on the horizon.

“It’s not for the government only to build more housing, let's give all that knowledge to iwi, for iwi to develop their own housing projects to build Māori communities,” he says.

“Encouragingly, the minister has to acknowledge that he needs to work with mana whenua to make sure that all our rights are observed,” says Ngāti Paoa Iwi Trust commercial arm CEO, Dan Karena.

HUDA will partner with the private sector councils and iwi to build large quality housing communities quicker.

“We have small pockets of our people living in Auckland- we of Ōrākei, Te Akitai through to Ihumātao- but they live separately in different suburbs,” says Hawke.

“Twyford needs to build Māori communities under the scheme.”

Ngāti Paoa will engage with the Crown's agency to support their Pt England housing project of 500-600 homes, including papakāinga for their beneficiaries and a new marae in East Auckland.

“With any developments of that size and scale you need as much assistance- particularly with the infrastructure around it and working with council,” says Karena, “Making sure you have a smooth build process and you can deliver it on time.”

Ngāti Paoa expect to complete their new marae at Pt England within in the next two years.