“Ko te whare e tū ana ki te pārae he kai nā te ahi, ko te whare e tū ana ki te pātūwatawata koina te tohu o te rangatira”

Rawiri Waititi, MP for Waiariki, welcomes a Māori-led approach to the extreme housing deprivation experienced by too many whānau in Rotorua. Te Pokapū will be led by Te Taumata o Ngāti Whakaue and supported by a collective of local providers and agencies. It will provide a holistic, kaupapa Māori approach to support people in precarious living situations into housing.

“Although Māori did not create the housing crisis, iwi Māori are best-placed to support and guide Māori towards long-lasting solutions which will provide them with the safe and secure housing they need to live their best lives. Motels and backpackers are not suitable places to raise whānau.”

In 2021 the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development were contracting twelve motels in Rotorua to provide emergency accommodation, with a focus on supporting 200 whānau. As of September 2021, there are 861 applicants on the MSD Housing Register from the Rotorua District. Representing 3.5% of the 24,546 applicants in Aotearoa currently.

Te Pāti Māori have consistently advocated for Māori prioritisation in new social housing and pathways for Māori into home ownership. Te Pāti Māori recognise that without a stable, safe and secure home, it is difficult for whānau and tamariki to thrive in all facets of life.

The announcement on Māori Housing Renewable Energy Fund will provide support to make housing more sustainable in Rotorua. The scheme will target renewable energy through a solar panel project that is said to reduce power bills by up to 50%.

“As tangata whenua we are always invested in sustainable ways of living in harmony with the taiao. However, the further benefits for Māori are in reducing preventable illnesses such as rheumatic fever, asthma and pneumonia which are prevalent in households who experience energy hardship and can’t adequately heat their homes.” Waititi said.

These announcements come following Rotorua’s upgrade as a Tier 1 City under the recent amendments to the RMA intended to streamline intensification of Aotearoa’s largest cities.

“Underpinning moving people out of emergency accommodation into more permanent homes and making energy more affordable and sustainable is the necessity for houses. We are excited for the opportunities that being a Tier 1 city promises. It’s important that the people who live in Rotorua now, can afford the fruits of this move and that they aren’t displaced. The last thing we want to see is the gentrification of Rotorua. We also remain firm in our stance that social housing provided by iwi Māori and the Crown are important for our whānau who may never have the means to own a home and deserve security of tenure, affordable rent and healthy homes.”

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