Source: New Zealand Government
Up to 300 affordable, healthy, community-tailored homes helping to support home ownership are set to be built in eastern Porirua, supported by Government funding for Our Whare Our Fale through the Building Homes for Pacific in Porirua initiative, Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti and Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka say.
The blessing of the whenua and the groundbreaking ceremony took place today in Cannons Creek, with attendees from Pasefika communities, government, and members of local iwi Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Central Pacific Collective (CPC).
“This is a fantastic initiative that is helping address housing needs in our communities,” Dr Reti says.
“I am pleased that it’s achieving this in a way that transcends just providing housing, through designs that will strengthen communities and an initiative that will help people to purchase homes,” adds Mr Potaka.
The project, led in partnership by Central Pacific Collective and Ngāti Toa Rangatira, was allocated $114.611 million in government funding in 2022, managed by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.
The housing and the spaces, inspired by Pacific villages and cultures, are intended to promote connection and belonging through community support and collective living.
The builds focus on promoting better health outcomes among Pacific peoples and factor in environmental sustainability.
Affordability is being ensured through several features:
- The land in eastern Porirua is being leased into perpetuity from Ngāti Toa, removing land costs from the purchase price.
- CPC is the developer, with houses built at cost and margins not passed on to the buyers.
- The project benefits from scale, minimising costs from suppliers, and keeping costs down through innovation and partnerships.
- CPC offers a shared equity scheme making it easier for households to raise a deposit and service housing costs.
Building for the first 18 homes will commence tomorrow on 1 November, following the turning of the first sod, and construction is expected to be completed in 2025.
Resource consent for the following two sites is underway.
“I want to acknowledge Central Pacific Collective, Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, Ministry for Pacific Peoples and Kāinga Ora in coming together to support better housing outcomes in our communities,” says Dr Reti.
“This is an exciting development that ultimately will improve the lives of families, ease the cost of living, and improve outcomes in communities while we continue to help rebuild the economy, build more houses, and grow the economy for the benefit of New Zealanders.”
