Ranga-Bidois Whānau Papakāinga ‘an outstanding example of a whānau-led housing initiative’

A housing project by a Ngāruawahia whānau is an outstanding example of a Māori-led housing initiative Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell said today.

The Minister was speaking at the official opening of a development on the Ranga-Bidois whānau papakāinga which has seen three new homes built to provide much needed homes for the wider whānau.

The Ranga-Bidois whānau developed a plan with Whānau Ora support, and successfully applied for funding from Te Puni Kōkiri to help develop the project.

The whānau then got funding for infrastructure and to build the homes from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment as part of the wider housing investments by the Government through the Social Housing Fund. The whānau also made a significant contribution with labour and a bank loan.

“This is a great example of whānau working out a plan for the future and understanding how important housing is to that future” says Mr Flavell. “While the Ranga-Bidois whānau have created these homes, they have also created another invaluable asset of long-term value: a rich base of skills and experience in the planning, funding and implementation of a papakāinga housing development”.

Mr Flavell acknowledged the support of Te Rūnanga o Kirikiriroa to the Ranga-Bidois project and other papakāinga initiatives in the rohe, “the Rūnanga made a significant contribution in providing guidance and encouragement to whānau to help them achieve their goals.”

Mr Flavell said that good quality housing was key to building strong communities, “I have set up the Māori Housing Network in Te Puni Kōkiri to work with whānau and communities to build on the range of successful Māori-led housing initiatives across the motu and improve housing outcomes”