October 01, 2012
Special allocation for Maori social housing
Housing Minister Phil Heatley says $13.8 million of the $104.1 million set aside in this year’s budget will go for housing on Maori land and for Maori providers.
The funding is for the next three years.
He says because non-government providers are required to match or exceed the government commitment, the total spend could be in excess of $200 million.
Mr Heatley says evaluation of the first year of the scheme, when just $36 million was handed out, indicated a need for a more targeted approach, with Canterbury and Auckland likely to benefit.
The round opens next week with a pre-qualification phase, where organisations will demonstrate their suitability to bid for the money.
The operation of the Maori putea will change, and it will primarily be used to build social rental housing on multiple-owned Maori land.