Diane Menzies; Lena Henry; Patricia Austin; Emma Fergusson
August 2021
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Māori Housing Providers are relatively new to social and affordable housing supply and management.
As capacity and capability is now strengthening, there is a strong will for Māori agencies to respond to Māori needs. The new providers are keen to assist, recognising that to Māori a home is more than a house. Māori seek spiritual, emotional and cultural identity connections to the land and environment as well as to family and community. Māori Housing Providers understand the holistic interests of Māori and are better placed to achieve culturally appropriate outcomes for Māori. However, even though local governments also have the aim of seeing their residents housed, participants in this research identified that some local authorities create barriers to the prompt supply and affordability of housing. These challenges relate to cumbersome planning processes, charges and contributions, lack of transparency and efficiency, slow recognition of infrastructure needs, and limited staff facilitation. Māori Housing Providers also noted the enablers of affordable housing which included the Crown through Te Puni Kōkiri; those local authorities who made supply of housing and cutting through bureaucratic barriers a priority; banks; and, where relevant, Te Tumu Paeroa, the Māori Trustee. However, a number of respondents noted the remaining suspicion and lack of trust from a range of entities including the Crown, which hampered the ability of Māori Housing Providers to get on with the job.
