Ngā Pōtiki one step closer to helping at least 30 whānau into homeownership

The Minister of Housing Hon Dr Megan Woods announcing $7.2million for the Ngā Pōtiki Progressive Home Ownership Programme. Photo / George Novak

The first multi-million-dollar loan from the Government's Progressive Home Ownership fund has been dished out to a Bay of Plenty housing delivery provider.

Ngā Pōtiki will receive $7.2 million to continue its Progressive Home Ownership programme which will help at least 30 whānau step onto the property ladder in Pāpāmoa.

Minister of Housing Megan Woods visited the Manawa residential development in Pāpāmoa Beach on Monday

to make the announcement.

The first 10 Ngā Pōtiki whānau have already graduated through the iwi's shared equity scheme, including Jodie Robertson, who is now living in her own home at Manawa.

Jodie Robertson in her home in Manawa, Pāpāmoa. Photo / George Novak

Robertson described the moment she first moved in as surreal, as she had never had a home to call her own.

"I think the biggest thing was my kids have their own bedroom for the first time in many years.

"The mortgage repayments are cheaper than what market rent is so I am paying less than what I would if I had to rent a whare on my own and it has taught me a lot about finance."

Robertson proudly walked Woods, local Labour Party MPs and Ngā Pōtiki whānau through her spacious four-bedroom home after the announcement.

Labour MPs (from left) Tamati Coffey, Jan Tinetti, Angie Warren-Clarke join Megan Woods (right) for Jodie Robertson's house tour. Photo / George Novak

"Now it's just looking at the next step around how do we grow this into something more in the future.

"How can I prepare for my kid's housing, how can I support my mum and dad into their own house because they're still in the private rental market and pay more than I am."

Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore Trust deputy chairwoman Victoria Carroll said the programme would enable Ngā Pōtiki to expand its shared equity home ownership scheme to more than 30 Ngā Pōtiki whānau and assist them into home ownership.

"What it means is we can reach more families and run it through the same shared equity scheme but there will be a few aspects that will be different because, under the PHO scheme, it's a loan from the Government to us.

"We pass that loan on to the families and it has to be repaid within 15 years."

Victoria Carroll, deputy chairwoman of Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore Trust. Photo / File

Putting Ngā Pōtiki whānau into homes has been a vision of the Trust for over a decade, Carroll said, and housing was cemented as a key strategy through their Treaty settlement process.

"Given that Tauranga is one of the most expensive cities in which to buy a home, exacerbated by low household worker incomes for Māori, we need these innovative programmes to assist hard-working whānau into home ownership."

Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore Trust chairman Colin Reeder said there were more than 200 whānau and elderly on the waitlist for home ownership and rental accommodation.

"We want our Ngā Pōtiki people to be able to continue living in their rohe, to be close to their whānau and marae, to stay connected to their whenua. Therefore, we need to help create housing here in Pāpāmoa that our people can afford to live in."

The Minister of Housing Dr Megan Woods with Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore Trust deputy chair Victoria Carroll. Photo / George Novak

The Government's $400 million PHO Fund aims to help between 1500 and 4000 families buy their own homes and scale up funding for organisations already providing PHO schemes with wraparound support services, such as budgeting advice.

As part of this approach, there will be a dedicated iwi and Māori pathway, with a specific focus on better housing outcomes for Māori.

"It's about overcoming those barriers around being able to get the deposit together, or being able to have enough money to make the mortgage repayments," Woods said.

"It's getting increasingly difficult for people to achieve their dream of home ownership, so not only does there need to be strong provided to work with, we are looking at areas that are most difficult to buy houses."

How does the scheme work?

Ngā Pōtiki has a housing arm - Manawa Community Housing Trust (Manawa CHT), and Manawa Progressive Home Ownership Limited will receive the loan for $7.2 million which enables Manawa CHT to scale up its own PHO scheme and construct 30 more homes.

From early 2021, households at or above median incomes will be able to access progressive home ownership arrangements directly from Government through Kāinga Ora – Home and Communities.