2020 Briefing to Incoming Ministers (BIM)

2020 was an unheralded year with COVID-19 rapidly changing the world as we knew it. As most would know, the housing crisis in New Zealand has only been exacerbated by COVID-19, and across all metrics Māori are disproportionately represented amongst those most severely impacted.

The catch cry of our Te Matapihi Briefing to Incoming Ministers (BIM) of Housing and Māori Development is the need for “More Māori Houses” to help address the housing crisis.

In other words, more housing developments led and built by Māori, more whānau supported by Māori into appropriate housing, and more houses owned by Māori.

From Te Matapihi’s unique perspective as an independent, national voice on Māori housing, this briefing outlines some of the key systemic issues impacting Māori housing outcomes, and over 30 recommendations spanning homelessness, public housing and CHPs, homeownership, papakāinga, iwi housing and cross-sectoral issues, including recommendations to:

• Initiate the ‘review and reset’ of government policy committed to by the MAIHI framework

• Dedicate investment to growing Māori CHPs via the Public Housing Plan

• Undertake a comprehensive review of the Kāinga Whenua Loan Scheme with Māori

• Introduce at a national level a mechanism to protect the right of Tangata Whenua to develop papakāinga housing

• Explore funding models that help to leverage Iwi investment in housing

• Establish a multi-agency panel tasked with increasing the Māori housing supply

• Review the government’s Māori housing strategy in co-design with the Māori housing sector

• Revitalise the Māori Housing Act 1935 and expand its scope

• Significantly increase the level of government investment in Māori-led housing solutions.

We believe these recommendations will make a significant difference over the coming term of government.

You can read the full BIM Here