A building that once shaped the Māori trade training industry will now revitalise the local community of Ōtautahi and provide much needed housing for whānau Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson announced today.

The old Māori Trade Training hostel, Te Koti Te Rato, at Rehua Marae in Christchurch has been redeveloped into six rental apartments, made up of one and two-bedroom units.

“The apartments are not only warm and secure but allow whānau to be part of the life of an urban marae, living in a kaupapa Māori environment.

“Housing developments like this have significant potential to improve social, cultural, economic and the environmental wellbeing of Māori communities,” Willie Jackson said.

The ground floor of the redeveloped building accommodates wrap-around health services and the marae office, while the six new apartments add to the four kaumātua flats that have been on the grounds for some time.

The former 33-bed Māori Trades Training hostel was built in 1966 for young Māori who came from all over Aotearoa to learn a trade as part of the Māori Affairs trade training scheme.

Te Puni Kōkiri has invested $2.4 million in the $3.38 million project, with the Trust contributing a further $330,000. Additional funding has come from the Department of Internal Affairs ($350,000) and the Rata Foundation ($200,000).

“Māori are disproportionately living with serious housing deprivation. But this is an example of by Māori for Māori solutions to our housing crisis.

“I congratulate Te Whatu Manawa Māoritanga o Rehua Trust Board for keeping this kaupapa alive and for putting the community at the heart of everything you do,” Willie Jackson said.

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