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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has turned the sod for a papakainga housing development at Te Māhurehure Marae in her Mount Albert electorate.
Te Kainga Atawhai will include 15 one, two and three bedroom apartments.
Marae Chair Christine Panapa says the marae decided back in 2003 it wanted housing attached, but it was not possible until the passing of Auckland’s Unitary Plan in 2014 allowed it to get land along the creek bank rezoned from open space to residential.
Plans were drawn up, and in May Te Puni Kōkiri agreed to kick in $3.4 million from its Māori housing fund.
The marae is now taking the necessary steps to become a community housing provider.
"Families that are on the social housing list, mums with their children, kaumātua, kuia and so forth, they will get the opportunity to receive a key to one of our houses. The community housing providers come under the Ministry for Social Development so when I pass on at least I know we are going to have good tenants, the rents are still going to be paid and yeah, it's going to be good," Ms Panapa says.
On the other side Te Māhurehure Marae is building Te Taumata o Kupe, an education centre based around the great Polynesian explorer, which needs to be completed before the America’s Cup.
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