Listen Now: 
Te Taitokerau MP Kelvin Davis says he's written to Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett asking for clarity over how a far north trust can keep its charitable status while helping low income Maori to buy their first homes.
He Korowai Atawhai Trust wants to move families onto its Kaitaia papakainga by Labour weekend, but its affordable mortgage plan for the refurbished state houses falls foul of the existing law.
Mr Davis says the trust is addressing a real problem of low Maori home ownership, and renting or leasing the houses isn't part of its vision.
He says he Korowai may have pushed the boundaries, but it's now up to the Government to make sure the law keeps up.
"(They )go into urgency to introduce a fifth flag in a referendum and you can do that in an afternoon. To go into urgency to change the law so people can own their own homes, the power is in their hands and if they really had a mind to it they could do it in an afternoon," Mr Davis says.
He says He Korowai Atawhai does a fantastic job and its would be a blow to the whole far north community if it were to lose its charitable status.
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
RELATED NEWS
