Edgecumbe families in urgent need of a home will now have a place to stay through new papakainga housing from the current government's Māori housing network.
Former MP Te Ururoa Flavell says the scheme was instigated by the previous National government.
The five two-bedroom homes on Māori land are now ready to house families affected by the 2017 Edgecumbe floods.
“The government needs to support more marae and hapū who hope to follow this example,” says Flavell.
The homes are owned and run by the Kōkōhinau Papakainga Trust.
The government contributed $2.7mil to the project. Minister of Māori Development Nanaia Mahuta says, “I know that this was initiated by the previous government under Te Ururoa but they need to continue building more homes. For example, the ten homes planned for this project”.
Flavell would like to see more Māori have the opportunity to build on their land to help with the housing shortage.
“Money is always a problem but there are other ways around that,” he says.
The first lot of families move in the next two weeks.