October 01, 2019
He Korowai steps up home building
Kaitaia's Korowai Trust will this month open a further 10 family homes and five single person units in an innovative rent to buy scheme.
Director Ricky Houghton says other agencies are coming on board the kaupapa, with Foundation North's Sweet As trade training scheme training up some of the future residents to build the homes, and Te Puni Kōkiri helping with its pathways to home ownership scheme.
The trust rents the homes within a drug and alcohol-free papakainga for $275 a week for the first three years, after which it converts to a mortgage for the next 12 years until the house cost is paid off.
The trust retains the land.
"We don’t want to be state landlords. We just want to support the families into pathways to home ownership and this model that we’ve developed is working really well up here. We’re going to start another 30 homes early next year and we’re really excited about it," Mr Houghton says.
He Korowai's model came from 20 years of listening to people sharing their stories and their aspirations.
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