Newest affordable housing development celebrated
Last week we celebrated the completion of one of Auckland’s newest affordable housing communities at Waimahia Inlet.
295 houses have now been built on the shore of Manukau Harbour thanks to a partnership between Te Tumu Kāinga, a not-for-profit community housing provider, New Zealand Housing Foundation, the Tāmaki Collective and CORT. This affordable housing initiative has helped over 80 families onto the property market and into homes of their own. For many this was a dream come true.
Te Tumu Kāinga, a trust administered by Te Tumu Paeroa, played an integral role in the development. They worked alongside other housing providers in the development.
Since it’s establishment in 1850 (originally as the Auckland and Onehunga Hostels Endowment Trust), Te Tumu Kāinga has been creating affordable housing for Māori and communities. And Waimahia Inlet was an important development for the trust.
Te Tumu Kāinga chair and Te Tumu Paeroa trusts manager Basil Tapuke said “the goal of our trust is to create better housing outcomes for Māori. A lot of whānau aspire to home ownership, but unfortunately getting that foot in the door can be a real challenge. Through Te Tumu Kāinga, we’ve been able to help make that dream of home ownership into a reality for whānau”.
The trust offered a range of options to applicants depending on their individual needs. These options included community affordable rentals, rent to buy and shared equity. This has led to a larger number of Māori whānau taking their first steps into home ownership.
From the early stages of planning Waimahia, the need for it to be more than just a housing development was clear. Alongside the 295 homes, an early learning centre and a community centre have helped turn Waimahia into a whānau-oriented community.
“We’ve also helped turn this development into a thriving community” says Basil.
“This development demonstrates what can be done for our people when we work alongside other like-minded organisations. Working with the likes of the New Zealand Housing Foundation, the Tāmaki Collective and CORT has led to long lasting benefits for whānau”.