A Māori housing expert wants the government to streamline housing services and says Te Puni Kōkiri (TPK) could be the best agency to lead the initiative. Victoria Kingi of Mangatawa Papamoa Block Incorporated spoke to around 200 attendees at the National Māori Housing conference in Tauranga today.
More than 30 families now have roofs over their heads at Mangatawa, but it's been a hard road to get the deal done.
Kingi says, “We have multiple agencies involved in housing and we need to see better collaboration and alignment across the agencies in terms of their strategies.”
Housing New Zealand and TPK are two agencies that offer Māori housing advice.
“I think TPK is a natural fit, I really do, I think they handled funding from the Social Housing network to Maori Housing network really,” says Kingi.
Minister of Social Housing Paula Bennett says, “We are all in and what I mean is that what I do affects Maori housing I'm acutely aware of that.”
Quotable Values for August show the average house price in Tauranga topped $600,000.
Barney Rangi has recently returned from Australia and says, “The only reason why we came back here, my wife is from here but she was passed away.”
Rangi's neighbours include relations who link to the Mangatawa Papamoa Block incorporated. Bennett isn't sure if she'd fit in on a papakāinga herself.
“I'm not sure if would suit me right now, with my family but I don't know everyone is different.”
Bennett says her party's policies regarding Māori have come a long way since Don Brash was their leader.
“I just don't agree with Don Brash its old thinking and seems archaic and is ridiculous.”
But for Rangi and the residents of Mangatawa, a better future is on the horizon.