Third National Māori Housing Conference set to take place in Whanganui

Success stories in Māori Housing developments from around Aotearoa will be shared at a National Māori Housing Conference, to be held in Whanganui from May 1-3.

Conference hosts the Whanganui Iwi Housing Forum and national umbrella organization Te Matapihi Trust have planned a full programme that will feature a keynote address from the Hon. Tariana Turia, Associate Minister for Housing and Māori Party co-leader.

“This year’s conference is well timed with the Māori housing strategy currently being developed by MBIE and Te Puni Kokiri. The conference will underscore the heightened profile of Māori housing issues and the fundamental impact that better approaches to housing can have on the wellbeing of our whānau, hapū and iwi,” says Te Matapihi chair Rau Hoskins.

“The purpose of bringing together both existing and aspiring Māori Housing providers from around the motu is to strengthen approaches and better facilitate collaboration across the sector.”

“Being brought up to date with policy changes associated with central government’s Social Housing Reform process and staying in touch with the ways that Papakāinga are being facilitated at a local government level is part of paving a bright future ahead for Māori Housing providers.

“Most importantly this conference gives us an opportunity to create a path of self-determination for Māori Housing based on high quality financially viable projects, being the best housing providers and tenancy managers we can possibly be in our own right.

“Indeed the most important aspect of this and the previous national Māori Housing conferences organised by Te Matapihi is to share and celebrate the collective success stories that we keep building upon from year to year,” says Hoskins.

Success stories from Māori Housing providers being presented at the conference include the following: Pungarehu Marae, the Ratana Project, Tāmaki Makaurau Regional Forum, Te Tai Tokerau Regional Forum, Western Bay of Plenty and Te Runanga o Kirikiriora.

The identification of key Māori housing policies and the development of national action plans will be discussed and agreed at a strategy session on the final day of the conference, which is being held at the Whanganui War Memorial Centre.

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