Hon Nanaia Mahuta
Te Minita Whanaketanga Māori
Minister for Māori Development
14 August 2018 PĀNUI PĀPĀHO
Māori Development Hon Minister Mahuta announces today a Māori housing finance wānanga to tackle barriers to accessing
finance to build housing on Māori land.
Iwi, financial and legal experts, banking sector representatives and Māori housing providers have gathered for the
wānanaga in Auckland, hosted by Te Matapihi, with support from Te Puni Kōkiri.
“Getting finance is one of the biggest barriers that whānau face to build on Māori land. The whenua is
collectively-owned so it is not usually accepted as security,” Hon Nanaia Mahuta said.
“It is time to work together with iwi, Māori housing providers and the finance sector to pursue innovative financing
alternatives to improve access to finance to build on Māori land.
“A crucial part of government policy is to help more Māori get into housing, and there are great opportunities to
partner with Māori to do this.”
Rau Hoskins, Chairperson of Te Matapihi says ‘it has long been on our agenda to address this issue on behalf of our
people’.
“We are pleased to see the collaboration and willingness from all key parties now in finding a purpose designed solution
to financing housing on Māori land.”
Te Matapihi He Tirohanga mō te Iwi is a national Māori housing advocacy and support organisation formed in 2011 and
works with the wider Māori housing sector to achieve better Māori housing outcomes across Aotearoa.
“The Māori housing finance wānanga is an opportunity to think about the strengths and limitations of the current
approach and to design innovative alternatives to make finance more accessible,” Nanaia Mahuta said.
ends