Putting our goals into action

Leading work on Aotearoa New Zealand’s housing and urban development system 

When you join the Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) whanau, you’ll be helping to: 

• increase New Zealand’s housing supply 
• address homelessness 
• make homes warmer and healthier 

• make housing more affordable 
• and support quality urban development and thriving communities. 

Here are some of the things we’ve achieved together so far. 

2020/21 highlights 

• February 2021, 1,005 new transitional housing places were delivered. 

• Embedded the Māori and Iwi Housing Innovation (MAIHI) Framework for Action into the mahi at HUD to set a precedent for working in partnership with Māori. 
• Developed and released the Government Policy Statement on Housing and Urban Development (GPS-HUD), which communicates the Government’s long-term vision for the housing and urban development system. 
• Established Whai Kāinga, Whai Oranga, a $380 million investment in Māori housing to accelerate Māori-led housing solutions. 
• Provided support to increase public housing from 71,319 to 74,337 over the year. 
• Established the Housing Acceleration Fund a $3.8 billion fund to unlock housing development in locations facing the biggest housing supply and affordability challenges. 

• Contracts for 832 additional homes were agreed in July 2021, adding to the 2,180 homes already delivered or under contract. 

2019/20 highlights 

• Developed Māori and Iwi Housing Innovation (MAIHI), a Framework for Action which places partnership with whānau at the centre of our housing response, using kaupapa Māori principles. 
• Collaborated to provide wrap-around support for homeless and vulnerable people — 1,250 places made ready in 16 towns or cities. 
• Helped the sector increase available public housing places with 69,950 households in public housing at year end. 

• Increased the number of transitional housing places to 3,234. 
• Reset the government’s build programme, enabling more people to become homeowners by setting up the first phase of a $400 million Progressive Home Ownership Fund. 
• Progressed work leading the Crown’s response to the Wai 2750 Kaupapa Inquiry into Housing Policy and Services. 

2018/19 highlights 

• Formed Kāinga Ora, a public housing landlord, which works in partnership to enable, facilitate, and deliver housing and urban development projects. 

• 69,317 public housing places. 
• 806 people and whānau housed through the Housing First programme. 
• 2,789 transitional housing places secured for tenanting. 
• 47 Community Housing Providers registered. 
• 230 KiwiBuild homes completed. 

The people behind the mahi 

MAIHI Ka Ora, the National Māori Housing Strategy  

"Having the opportunity to travel around the motu and hear about the incredible, innovative housing solutions Māori are creating for their people has been the highlight of my career so far. 

Throughout 2021, the Māori Housing Unit developed MAIHI Ka Ora, the National Māori Housing Strategy. We began by undertaking a review of the previous Māori housing strategy, He Whare Āhuru. The review of He Whare Āhuru made it clear that although the strategy is a reflection of Māori housing aspirations, it did not include an action plan with measurable outcomes and deliverables, or responsible agencies. It did not include co-design or ongoing engagement with Māori, and it was insufficiently resourced to enable its full delivery. These learnings informed the development of MAIHI Ka Ora. 

MAIHI Ka Ora will be critical in contributing to a better future for whānau Māori. It sets the direction for the next 30 years and will be reviewed every three to four years, to reflect the progress made within the system and respond where there is the most pressing need. It’s a privilege to work in a team with people who are so committed to creating better outcomes for whānau." 

- Kuini Vidal, Senior Policy Advisor, Maori Housing Policy Team 

Homelessness Action Plan  

"Housing is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most pressing issues, this team contributes to making important things better for people. 

The HAP team is focused on social issues and collaborating with people to help improve the lives of others. There is more to the job than just writing and reading which is why people from very different backgrounds often make their way into policy. A lot of work is currently happening and there are plenty of opportunities to be involved in progressing or improving various parts of housing throughout the country. 

A highlight has been the recent work to reduce rangatahi/young people homelessness and to improve the emergency housing system – both of which were heavily informed by analysis of claims in the Wai 2750 Kaupapa Inquiry.” 

- Homelessness Action Plan team  

Progressive Home Ownership   

"Having a warm, dry home with secure tenure is the foundation of wellbeing and helps people achieve better health, education, and employment outcomes.   

Progressive home ownership (PHO) is an innovative way of helping more people and whānau to own their own homes. The PHO fund is targeted at helping low-to-median income families, prioritising Māori, Pacific peoples and families with children who would otherwise have been priced out of home ownership. It also contributes to increasing housing supply by requiring newly built homes that have been completed in the last 12 months.   

We work closely with organisations to develop and implement a fund that’s targeted and helps organisations access the funding they need to develop or expand their PHO programmes.   

It has been immensely rewarding to see how raising awareness about PHO and helping organisations understand how they can access funding has translated to more than 220 families on their way to owning a newly built home that meets their needs."   

- Gabrielle Henderson, Senior Engagement and Communications Advisor, Communications and Engagement Organisational Performance Team