Hon Dr Shane Reti
Minister for Pacific Peoples
 
Hon Tama Potaka
Associate Minister of Housing

Up to 300 affordable, healthy, community-tailored homes helping to support home ownership are set to be built in eastern Porirua, supported by Government funding for Our Whare Our Fale through the Building Homes for Pacific in Porirua initiative, Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti and Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka say.

The blessing of the whenua and the groundbreaking ceremony took place today in Cannons Creek, with attendees from Pasefika communities, government, and members of local iwi Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Central Pacific Collective (CPC).

“This is a fantastic initiative that is helping address housing needs in our communities,” Dr Reti says.

“I am pleased that it’s achieving this in a way that transcends just providing housing, through designs that will strengthen communities and an initiative that will help people to purchase homes,” adds Mr Potaka.

The project, led in partnership by Central Pacific Collective and Ngāti Toa Rangatira, was allocated $114.611 million in government funding in 2022, managed by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.

The housing and the spaces, inspired by Pacific villages and cultures, are intended to promote connection and belonging through community support and collective living.

The builds focus on promoting better health outcomes among Pacific peoples and factor in environmental sustainability.

Affordability is being ensured through several features:

• The land in eastern Porirua is being leased into perpetuity from Ngāti Toa, removing land costs from the purchase price.
• CPC is the developer, with houses built at cost and margins not passed on to the buyers.
• The project benefits from scale, minimising costs from suppliers, and keeping costs down through innovation and partnerships.
• CPC offers a shared equity scheme making it easier for households to raise a deposit and service housing costs.

Building for the first 18 homes will commence tomorrow on 1 November, following the turning of the first sod, and construction is expected to be completed in 2025.

Resource consent for the following two sites is underway.

“I want to acknowledge Central Pacific Collective, Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, Ministry for Pacific Peoples and Kāinga Ora in coming together to support better housing outcomes in our communities,” says Dr Reti.

“This is an exciting development that ultimately will improve the lives of families, ease the cost of living, and improve outcomes in communities while we continue to help rebuild the economy, build more houses, and grow the economy for the benefit of New Zealanders.”

Note:

• The model for the development of homes in Eastern Porirua is premised on CPC leasing land from Ngāti Toa, with the land to be purchased by Ngāti Toa at market value from Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities.
• CPC is a community-led organisation established in 2014 with a focus on enabling thriving, resilient and prosperous Pacific communities.
• The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is responsible for managing the Our Whare our Fale project funding appropriation. CPC is responsible for the activities and matters carried out as part of the project.
• Pacific peoples have the lowest homeownership rate of all population groups – less than one-third of Pacific peoples own the home they live in, and housing stock does not reflect the needs of Pacific families.
• Home ownership is also associated with better educational (through improved school attendance) and health outcomes. In 2023, only 32 percent of Pacific children attended school more than 90 percent of the term.
• Compared to renters, homeowners are more likely to rate their homes as suitable and establish good relationships with local health care providers. This leads to better access to health care and ultimately improved health outcomes

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