Hawke's Bay housing crisis: Iwi has goal to build 500 houses in four years, three times what Govt is planning

Using marae land in Hawke's Bay could be a way to stave off the housing shortage. Photo / File

A Hawke's Bay iwi is a step closer to fulfilling an IwiBuild plan it believes will help solve a the region's housing crisis, but need one last push from Government to get it over the line.

Ngati Kahungunu Chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana said its plan was to build hundreds of new homes over the next few years, but it needs the resourcing from Government to put it into motion.

"We have the land, we have the people and we've got applications for miles, we just need the go ahead," Tomoana said.

The iwi has spent the past seven weeks putting together a housing plan for Hawke's Bay that was proposed to Government in a meeting on March 6.

"At the meeting we discussed locally based solutions on the provisions that we can build 500 houses over the next 3-4 years," Tomoana said.

At that meeting was Sir Brian Roche, who leads the establishment of the new Housing and Urban Development Authority which started in November 2018, and is also Hastings- born and raised.

Housing New Zealand already has around 2800 houses in the Hawke's Bay. Photo / Duncan Brown

The plan was put forward to him as a proposal for this year's Budget which is set for May 30.

The big issue that many face when it comes to building new homes in Hawke's Bay is where can they be built.

Tomoana said there was an abundance of suitable land all over Hawke's Bay that is not being properly utilised for housing.

"It's all over the place - all the state housing estates, some of those sections are so big you can put two or three houses on them.

"Flaxmere was another area that the Hastings District Council could specifically look at for housing, he said.

"And also there is a lot of Māori land around marae in Hawke's Bay to use also."

Housing New Zealand already has around 2800 houses in the Hawke's Bay throughout its territorial areas which are made up of Hastings, Napier, Wairoa and Central Hawke's Bay.

Chairman of Ngati Kahungunu Ngahiwi Tomoana said the iwi had plenty of land to build 500 houses. Photo / Warren Buckland

The Public Housing Plan 2018-2022, which is the Government's current housing plan, has already seen 49 new homes built last year, with 43 of those in Napier.

The Government's plan is to build between 120 and 190 new homes in Napier and Hastings over the next three to four years.

Right now new state homes are being built on Campbell St, Cunningham Crescent and Sussex St in Hastings.

But Tomoana feels that if all parties involved can somehow come together it would help solve the issue and help provide homes quicker for those who need them.

"We've been working with a lot of groups from central government, councils and housing groups to help a solution to this issue," he said.

"If we can marry all of our sectors together we will be able to find not only a solution to the housing crisis but to have one that will benefit each individual community moving forward."