Press Release – Hutt City Council
A new Council, Māori NGO and Iwi-led housing partnership was launched today to coincide with the Government’s announcement of Te Maihi o te Whare Māori – a national Māori and Iwi Housing Innovation Framework for Action (MAIHI).
The partnership between Hutt City Council, Kahungunu Whānau Services, Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa, and Council-owned organisation, Urban Plus Limited, is the first of its kind in the country. It sets out a framework for building and delivering warm, safe and affordable homes to Lower Hutt households in desperate need of a home. A key aim is to provide pathways for these families to permanent home-ownership over time.
Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry says the partnership sets a new direction to address housing inequity across the city, by recognising that an insufficient supply of suitable and affordable housing is the key driver of homelessness.
“We have long known that over-crowding, homelessness, and a shortage of warm, dry and affordable homes causes great and avoidable hardship for too many members of our community, and imposes indirect costs on the entire city.
“We also know that because a higher proportion of Māori are on lower incomes, they are disproportionately affected by housing stress and struggle with the increasing costs of housing. I’m not prepared to leave these problems unanswered and that’s why we are enabling Urban Plus to work with Iwi-backed housing provider Kahungunu Whānau Services for the benefit of mana whenua and all people in our city.
“I’m incredibly proud that we have achieved this milestone today, and that we’re removing barriers to building new homes and home ownership.”
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