Ngāti Ranginui blesses new affordable homes in Tauranga

Ngāti Ranginui blessed seven newly acquired two-bedroom apartment-style homes in Greerton on Wednesday morning.

Ngāti Ranginui has today blessed seven newly acquired two-bedroom, apartment-style homes in Greerton.

The homes “represent a step forward in the vision Ngāti Ranginui have of creating affordable, high-quality housing for its people,” a statement from the iwi said.

“While the homes are not yet open for applications, a process for whānau to express an interest will be announced in due course.”

The homes were purchased on December 23.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ranginui chief executive Melanie Tata said the homes were bought to create opportunities for whānau to thrive in a secure and connected environment.

“The blessing this morning reminded us of our collective responsibility to ensure our people have access to housing that honours their mana and provides a strong foundation for the future,” Tata said.

The apartments were “designed to meet the pressing need for affordable housing in Tauranga, ranked the most expensive place to live, and where rising costs have made secure living increasingly difficult for many whānau.”

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ranginui chairman Charlie Rahiri said they had made the decision to secure these homes as an act of care and hope for their people.

“Today’s blessing marks the beginning of a journey to ensure more whānau can access housing that prioritises their wellbeing over profit.”

The statement from Ngāti Ranginui said the iwi envisioned this project as the first step in a broader strategy to expand its housing footprint, offering long-term solutions to housing affordability, and the iwi remained focused on ensuring these homes met the needs of its people and created spaces where whānau could grow, connect, and build brighter futures.