Ministers in Rotorua to speak on $1.1 billion Māori package from Budget 2021

Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson will speak in Rotorua tomorrow about the $1.1 billion Māori package. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Ministers are speaking in Rotorua tomorrow about what Māori will receive from the $1.1 billion Māori package from Budget 2021, including the funding boost for Māori housing.

Associate Minister of (Māori) Housing Peeni Henare, Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson and Māori Crown Relations Minister Kelvin Davis are attending a post-Budget breakfast at Te Puia where they will be addressing the Government's commitment to improving housing for Māori and speaking about the $1.1b Māori package.

"Boosting new supply and upgrading additional housing are key priorities for this government and a critical part of our economic recovery as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic," Henare said.

"The housing crisis has particularly impacted Māori. Māori are disproportionately living with serious housing deprivation, affecting health, employment, and other wellbeing outcomes," Jackson said.

Associate Minister of (Māori) Housing Peeni Henare will address the funding boost for Māori housing tomorrow in Rotorua. Photo / Mark Mitchell

In Budget 2021, the Government announced a $1.1b package for Māori, which included $380 million to deliver 1000 new homes for Māori, including papakāinga housing.

A further $350m of the previously announced $3.8b Housing Acceleration Fund had been ring-fenced to help enable the construction of more homes for Māori.

The funding boost aimed to strengthen Māori and Iwi Housing Innovation approaches and partnerships with iwi and Māori to deliver more whenua-based housing and papakāinga.

The money would also be used to improve social and health outcomes for Māori by providing better quality housing through repairs of existing housing.

Māori Crown Relations Minister Kelvin Davis will speak in Rotorua tomorrow about the $1.1b Māori package. Photo / Andrew Warner

Davis and Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP Meka Whaitiri joined the ministers at a post-Budget breakfast held at the Arena Lounge, Claudelands in Hamilton today.

After the breakfast, the ministers visited Kirikiriroa Family Start Kāinga Rua, Te Kohao Health and Waikato Tainui-Karearea Housing Development.

"It was exciting to see how passionate our people are for providing Māori housing solutions for their people. We are excited that Budget 2021 will provide funding for Māori in Hamilton and across Aotearoa," Jackson said.

Ngāi Te Rangi chief executive Paora Stanley. Photo / NZME

Ngāi Te Rangi chief executive Paora Stanley said as a Māori leader, the news of the Māori housing package in Budget 2021 was welcomed.

"We've got some big problems when it comes to Māori housing."

Visions of a Helping Hand chief executive Tiny Deane agreed. He was unsure whether $380m would be enough, and said just building houses was not the solution to homelessness.

"Having a home is not the answer to the equation, it's making sure people can stay in the house."