George Reedy, Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga chief executive, hopes to build more than 120 homes as part of the Waingākau Village in Flaxmere. Photo / Supplied
George Reedy, Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga chief executive, hopes to build more than 120 homes as part of the Waingākau Village in Flaxmere. Photo / Supplied
A Hasting developer trying to get Māori out of motels and emergency housing and into affordable homes says most private developers aren't interested in ventures at his end of the market.
George Reedy, chief executive of Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga [TToH], has a mammoth task ahead of his team, working to address housing issues in the region that have disproportionately impacted Maori.
As of September last year, there were more than 637 people on the housing register in Hastings waiting for homes - 70 per cent of whom were Māori.
Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said recently 1700 people in her district were living in motels.
A charity trust governed by local marae representatives, TToH is building more than 120 homes as part of the Waingākau Village development in Flaxmere.
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Sharing the lessons he's learned along the way at the National Māori Housing Conference in Hastings on Thursday, Reedy said the trust was attempting to do what many private developers would not.
"The market is not designed to build houses in the affordable end of the market," he said.
"There are not a lot of people interested in working in our end."
Built on former Hastings District Council land, Waingākau is a mix of co-housing and conventional housing offering multiple pathways into home ownership for Māori.
This includes the proposed development of 76 houses in a co-housing village and 55 houses in a conventional private development, suited to varying family sizes and needs.
George Reedy said there were few developers interested in working at the more affordable end of the market but it was important to let the market set the price point. Photo / Warren Buckland
Reedy said it was important to "build to the market".
"Let the market dictate the price point."
But building affordable houses had to be balanced with providing quality homes, he said.
"We don't want the stuff [leaky homes] that turned up in Flaxmere in the late 80s and 90s that sees a lot of our kids turn up at the local GPs and the hospital."
Reedy said building in rural areas, where infrastructure needed to be put in, was a "complex process", especially for a small NGO with limited capital.
"We are not a [Treaty] settlement entity. We are doing it slowly but carefully.
"We've got infrastructure in the ground [and it's] allowed us to build quickly and prove we've got the capability."
Prioritising housing for Heretaunga-based people who can whakapapa to the area, TToH also put an emphasis on "readiness", with families encouraged to complete the Sorted programme to learn about financing and budgeting in preparation for home ownership.
Several hundred delegates from around the country attended the National Māori Housing Conference, where they learned about promising projects in Hastings. Photo / Warren Buckland
Reedy said home ownership was one part of the big journey of the organisation, which included making sure it could deliver houses.
"We want our whānau to own their own homes."
There were also aspirations to see more Māori provide private rentals, and help address a shortage of public and emergency housing.
TToH's work with the district council and other organisations was touted as a success model for others to follow at the housing conference, as were the many papakāinga around Hawke's Bay.
Ngati Kahungunu chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana said good-quality, affordable housing was important for whānau.
"It not only fulfils a basic human need for shelter, but it also contributes to the overall wellbeing of the whānau."
The three-day conference provided a range of opportunities for iwi and industry leaders to hear more about solutions to the country's growing housing crisis.
Presenters included the heads of Te Puni Kōkiri, Dave Samuels, Kāinga Ora, Andrew McKenzie, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Andrew Crisp.
Friday's programme also included a panel discussion with Minister of Housing Dr Megan Woods, Minister of Whānau Ora Peeni Henare, Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson and Associate Minister of Housing (Homeless) Marama Davidson.
