The Te Whakaruru Hau development at Kaingahoa Marae. Photo: Te Pouahi o Te Taitokerau
A Māori housing developer says if whānau are willing and ready, they can start building their own homes on their own whenua.
On Monday, Kaingahoa Marae in Te Rāwhiti, Bay of Islands reopened with a new papakāinga, unveiling 10 new homes for whānau and kaumātua right behind the historic wharenui.
The Te Whakaruru Hau development at the marae saw a number of funders come together to build five new homes and renovate five already on the site and significant upgrades to the marae water and wastewater infrastructure.
Te Pouahi o Te Taitokerau is an iwi housing prototype initially funded through the Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga scheme, tasked with building 80-100 homes and infrastructure for 110 homes across Taitokerau.
Funding for Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga was discontinued as part of Budget 2025 and funding moved to the government's new Flexible fund.
Speaking to RNZ, general manager Kris MacDonald told RNZ he wasn't worried about the change in funding.
"We don't have a lot of concerns. Obviously it has been good that we've been operating under Whai Kainga Whai Oranga strategy and the funding that was set aside by the previous government.
"However, we've learned over the last few years since we've been in operation how we can build houses quicker, faster with a lower overhead and with whānau engagement.
"When it comes to the contestable flexible fund, I think we have a model to offer that's supported by our iwi in Te Taitokerau so I think we've got a good model to be able to contest, particularly for housing needs in Te Taitokerau."
MacDonald said while a funder often looks for high quality and quantity, Māori have a distinct advantage.
"When working with whānau, their stake in the game is that they own their own whenua. There's a lot to be said about getting housing on Māori whenua, it's been difficult and has had a long history, but I think we've developed a lot of expertise in being able to do that. That's fair skin in the game, I guess.
"We've worked out a model that's affordable. Our model works on the basis of a grant for the infrastructure because we know these shortages of infrastructure, particularly in and around Māori land, but also the cost of the vertical build is a loan, at no interest, just a few upfront fees. We receive repayment for the vertical builds and that's coming to us on a monthly basis, we're able to use that funding to invest in more and more Māori housing."
There were also funding opurtunities in the philanthropic sector and Māori housing was not built with only government money, he said.
"It's funds and capital that we can raise ourselves if we've got a good functional model and can guarantee that we can get repayment on it. That's more opportunity for whānau for them in terms of addressing their housing needs.
"There's been a long history of Māori housing going back at least 40 or 50 years, the tap does get turned on and turned off. However, my advice to whānau, if they have aspirations to build kainga on their own whenua, is start that planning process. Start looking at what it takes to get a consent.
"Talk to us, we're happy to help and give you guidance around how you get organised so when the tap is turned back on and even though policy settings have changed, if you're ready, then that's half of the challenge in terms of getting housing."
Kaingahoa Marae in Te Rāwhiti, Bay of Islands. Photo: Te Pouahi o Te Taitokerau
Kaingahoa Marae signed a contract in August 2024 and within seven months five new houses were built.
MacDonald said good marae governance was key to a speedy build.
"They've always had a vision for housing and to upgrade their marae at Rāwhiti. Rāwhiti is a beautiful bay [but] they have a number of challenges that they're dealing with up there… the Waipiro Bay Marina, Caulerpa and other conservation issues."
"They have a marae there [with] five kaumatua flats, which I think they've built about 20 or 30 years ago. They were getting a bit long in the tooth and we were able to add five new builds. They were designed and chosen in terms of their colour schemes and what they would look like with our building partners Advance Build out of Waipapa - very good company that takes care of the end-to-end process."
Developments like Kaingahoa Marae were important because of a growing desire for whānau to return back to their whenua, he said.
"Whānau come home for Christmas [and] as families get bigger, they lose connection with their kainga and now they're able to come home. If they're working in the area, there's plenty of opportunity up in Russell and in the Bay of Islands with work and the kaumatua that are living there, keeping the home fires burning need their whānau around them, they need young kids around them."
"I recall when I was growing up, my parents got a Māori Affairs loan. They were working class. There was three bedrooms. We had five kids, but that became a strong platform for all of the things that we achieved in our life through education, through our health, through sport, through our whanaungatanga. All of those good things that housing wraps itself around."
