Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust has launched a dedicated housing entity aimed at delivering long-term homes for whānau while creating jobs and training opportunities in the Wairoa district.
Tātau Tātau Housing builds on the trust’s recovery work following Cyclone Gabrielle, when local Māori leadership played a key role in supporting whānau through one of the region’s toughest periods.
The new entity is focused on providing stable, long-term housing solutions for Wairoa whānau, where housing pressure has been intensified by flooding, infrastructure damage and long-standing supply issues.
Tātau Tātau Construction chief executive Aayden Clarke says the kaupapa is about more than building houses. It is about strengthening whānau, growing local skills and ensuring Wairoa people are part of the solution.
A Māori-led and locally driven approach means housing can be designed around the needs of whānau, hapū and community, rather than imposed from outside the region.
The initiative is also expected to create meaningful employment pathways by supporting local workers, apprentices and contractors through construction, maintenance and housing-related services.
For Wairoa, the launch represents a shift from short-term recovery toward long-term resilience.
By connecting housing delivery with training and job creation, Tātau Tātau Housing aims to keep investment in the community and build capacity for future generations.
The trust says its post-cyclone recovery work showed what can be achieved when local Māori organisations are resourced to lead for their own people.
With Tātau Tātau Housing now established, the focus turns to creating warm, secure homes and stronger economic opportunities for whānau across Wairoa.
