The Minister of Māori Development, Hon Nanaia Mahuta has just announced 24 community-led housing repair projects will receive funding from the Māori Housing Network, totalling $5.8 million.

The announcement was made at the National Māori Housing Conference 2018 today in the Waikato.

Amongst those to receive funding are: Korimiti Consultancy Limited $966,316 for repairs to 21 whānau homes in the South Canterbury area and assessments to 10 whānau homes for repairs, as well running home maintenance planning workshops; and Kia ora Ngātiwai Trust $350,000 to extend their current repairs programme to add 10 more whānau homes and provide whānau training in home repairs and maintenance.

Other projects include Habitat for Humanity Auckland $284,500 to assess and repair 15 whānau homes in Auckland and run six DIY workshops; and Te Hauora o Tūranganui-ā-Kiwa $300,000 to assess and repair 15 whānau homes in urban and rural Gisborne and run eight home repairs workshops covering basic carpentry, plumbing, plastering, electrical and painting.

“Many whānau have to deal with serious health impacts as a result of inadequate housing,” said Nanaia Mahuta.

“Over 12,700 Māori are living in severe housing deprivation – twice as many as for the total population. Including those living in overcrowded homes.

“I am pleased to see this investment towards the health and wellbeing of whānau, particularly our kaumātua and tamariki. I’m also pleased with our step change to make sure wherever possible we are leveraging projects to look at whānau enterprise opportunities, skills building, and social procurement.

“I am also proud to announce with my colleague the Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Sorted Kāinga Ora, a new programme of workshops to help whānau decide whether they are ready for home ownership. The programme will give whānau the tools to help set goals and put a plan into action to help achieve them.”

Sorted Kāinga Ora was developed by Te Puni Kōkiri and the Commission for Financial Capability to work alongside projects supported by the Te Puni Kōkiri Māori Housing Network.

© Scoop Media