A Māori housing expert wants the government to streamline housing services and says Te Puni Kōkiri (TPK) could be the best agency to lead the initiative. Victoria Kingi of Mangatawa Papamoa Block Incorporated spoke to around 200 attendees at the National Māori Housing conference in Tauranga today.
More than 30 families now have roofs over their heads at Mangatawa, but it's been a hard road to get the deal done.

Kingi says, “We have multiple agencies involved in housing and we need to see better collaboration and alignment across the agencies in terms of their strategies.”

Housing New Zealand and TPK are two agencies that offer Māori housing advice.

“I think TPK is a natural fit, I really do, I think they handled funding from the Social Housing network to Maori Housing network really,” says Kingi.

Minister of Social Housing Paula Bennett says, “We are all in and what I mean is that what I do affects Maori housing I'm acutely aware of that.”

Quotable Values for August show the average house price in Tauranga topped $600,000.

Barney Rangi has recently returned from Australia and says, “The only reason why we came back here, my wife is from here but she was passed away.”

Rangi's neighbours include relations who link to the Mangatawa Papamoa Block incorporated. Bennett isn't sure if she'd fit in on a papakāinga herself.

“I'm not sure if would suit me right now, with my family but I don't know everyone is different.”

Bennett says her party's policies regarding Māori have come a long way since Don Brash was their leader.

“I just don't agree with Don Brash its old thinking and seems archaic and is ridiculous.”
​
But for Rangi and the residents of Mangatawa, a better future is on the horizon.

Participants at the National Māori Housing Conference in Tauranga will be addressing NZ's housing crisis. The three-day seminar will include international and national speakers as well as Māori trusts paving the way in housing development.

The starting price for owning a house in Tauranga is over a half million dollars. That is a concern they want to address at this national conference.

Victoria Kingi (Nga Potiki, Ngāi Tahu) says, “The issue affordability absolutely there are speaking that will be talking about that kaupapa and we will hear some specific kōrero around that and particular some of the models we see coming through.”

While Māori trusts are exploring other options and home ownership models to address the housing shortage barriers, according to Victoria Kingi, a trustee of Mangatawa Papamoa Blocks Inc, they continue to be at a disadvantage.  

King says, “The less linked up agencies are whether they are the local or central government then the more barriers occur.”

Hawaiian Robert Hall, who is speaking at the conference tomorrow, says his country is no different when it comes to housing. There's a high demand for housing but the availability of land is low.

Robert J Hall (Aukai Pacific, Hawai'i) says, “Hawaii in itself is in a severe housing crises and you know living on an island only a limited amount of land and there are over 1.4 million people currently in Hawaii and housing is a direct dilemma for those you know who are unable to afford.”
​
Minister of Social Housing Paula Bennett is set to make an appearance at the conference tomorrow.

​The National Māori Housing Conference held in Tauranga is a three-day biennial conference, exploring local, regional and international housing solutions.

The prestigious conference, held from September 29 to October 1, will hear from a number of high-profile speakers and guests from Australia, Hawaii, Canada and New Zealand, including Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell and Minister for Social Housing Paula Bennett.

Speakers include Heeni Hoterene and Rueben Porter of the Te Taitokerau Ahikaaroa Trust Project, which has been helping families in Northland develop affordable, efficient and sustainable homes; the Turner whānau from Waikato, who are building a 13-bedroom home to ensure their whānau’s future home ownership; and Henare Cherrington of the East Coast Hemp Organisation (ECHO), which is sharing its research around sustainable building materials.

Tauranga Moana National Māori Housing Organising Committee Chairman Puhirake Ihaka says, “As whānau, hapū and iwi here in Tauranga Moana, we're excited to be able to host this biannual Maori housing conference. This year’s theme is ‘Ma whero ma pango ka oti ai te mahi’ - Collaboration and Strategic Relationships.”
The event aims to produce a high-level national document that identifies strategic solutions for the current and future housing needs of Māori in New Zealand. 
​
Te Kāea reporter Mere McLean will have more tonight at 5.30pm, Māori Television.

A national housing hui hoped to help develop and improve Maori housing is happening in Tauranga for the first time today.

The high-profile National Maori Housing Conference will be held at ASB Arena for three days to explore strategic local, regional and international housing solutions.
​
It's the first time biennial event is being held in Tauranga since the inaugural event began in Rotorua in 2010. Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell and Minister for Social Housing Paula Bennett will be among the guests.

Conference organising committee spokeswoman Victoria Kingi said the Western Bay of Plenty was leading the way in terms of providing innovative housing models for Maori, particularly by making use of Maori land.
"Here in the Western Bay there's 44,000 acres (17,800ha) of Maori land, all well-situated, close to services, commercial centres, areas of employment and public transport, that is really ideal for housing development," she said.

"The conference is the only national opportunity where we are all able to get together and talk about what is happening around the country, what is happening overseas with other indigenous people in housing. And importantly, to look at developing and improving strategies to help Maori have better quality homes."
Tauranga Moana National Maori Housing organising committee chairman Puhirake Ihaka said whanau, hapu and iwi in Tauranga Moana, were excited to be able to host the conference.

"This year's theme is 'Ma whero ma pango ka oti ai te mahi' - Collaboration and Strategic Relationships."

National Maori Housing Conference

• When: 12pm, Thursday, September 29 to 4.30pm, Saturday October 1
• Where: ASB Arena, Lion Foundation Room
• Previous conferences: Rotorua (2010), Northland (2012), Whanganui (2014).

The conference will hear presentations on local projects, including the Pirihima marae-based papakainga development, the Ngati Kahu Te Pura Trust's Maori land papakainga development, and the Nga Potiki Manawa Project, a post-Treaty settlement development of 240 homes incorporating a mix of housing options. There will also be a presentation from the Western Bay of Plenty joint agency group on increasing housing for Maori.

There will be input on international indigenous housing strategies, with a number of high-profile speakers and guests from Australia, Hawaii and Canada.

Speakers include Heeni Hoterene and Rueben Porter of the Te Taitokerau Ahikaaroa Trust Project, which has been helping families in Northland develop affordable, efficient and sustainable homes; the Turner whanau from Waikato, who are building a 13-bedroom home to ensure their whanau's future home ownership; and Henare Cherrington of the East Coast Hemp Organisation (ECHO), which is sharing its research around sustainable building materials.

A high-level national document will be prepared to identify strategic solutions for the current and future housing needs of Maori in NZ, as an outcome from the event.

Tourism Bay of Plenty head of marketing Kath Low said the conference was an exciting opportunity for the region to play host to an event of national significance, and saw such events as a sign of positive growth in the city.

"With new residents and businesses comes increased interest in creating opportunities for conferences such as this to be held in the BOP," she said.

"This event tackles a hugely important subject and the outcomes of which are to be highly beneficial for not just Tauranga Moana, but the region and nation as a whole."

Tauranga is becoming a hot spot for business conferences. In addition to the National Maori Housing Conference, Tauranga recently hosted the 2016 Franchise Association of New Zealand Annual Conference at Trinity Wharf Hotel, which was another first for the city.

More than 120 of New Zealand's leading franchise minds and businesses were in attendance for the two-day event.

And in October, high-profile speakers such as Minister of Transport Simon Bridges, co-founder of US automotive company Tesla Ian Wright, and the New Zealand Transport Association's Jeff Fleury, will arrive in Tauranga for a four-day 2016 Road Transport Forum Annual Conference, which includes a site visit of the Port of Tauranga.

- Bay of Plenty Times