March 21, 2022
Culture ignored in Kāinga Ora rebuild
A major community housing provider in Māngere has slammed plans to upgrade state housing in the area.
Kāinga Ora intends to replace its existing 2,700 dwellings with a mix of 10,000 state homes and open market properties, many of them one or two bedroom apartments.
Bernie Smith from the Monte Cecilia Trust says it will destroy the cultural character of the area.
He says the planned dwellings won’t suit the intergenerational nature of Māori and Pasifika households, and the $800,000 to $900,000 will force many residents out of the community.
“The Government talks about building strong healthy communities but here it is cutting into the fabric by not consulting with the community and seeking what is culturally appropriate for Māngere, rather than building just one and two bedrooms, three or four-level walk-ups,” Mr Smith says.
He says when he raised the need for culturally-appropriate houses Kāinga Ora said it was thinking about it – but it clearly hasn’t thought about it.