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National | Māori Housing

'They don't have to buy the land': Ngāti Potiki's leasehold plan for whānau home ownership in Pāpāmoa

Source / Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore website

A new way to get whānau into home ownership is underway in Tauranga Moana, with Ngāti Potiki determined to deliver more housing options for its people.

The lease home ownership programme will see Ngā Pōtiki whānau lease sites in Pāpāmoa from the iwi's housing trust - Manawa Community Housing Trust - and build their own homes using mortgage finance and a subsidy from the trust.

The beauty of the initiative is that whānau will not have to buy the land, Ngāti Potiki's Victoria Kingi told Waatea News. 

“Through this leasehold scheme, designed and developed and negotiated with Westpac and the government and with our board, we are able to deliver housing to whānau.

"They don’t have to buy the land so that immediately saves them 50 per cent roughly of the cost. They just have to get a mortgage approval."

Kingi told Waatea News the iwi will provide the land, even though that is not the most lucrative option for it.

The iwi has a multi-pronged strategy to provide housing for Ngā Pōtiki whānau within Tauranga Moana, including social rental housing, affordable rental housing, kaumātua kāinga, and affordable home ownership.