Govt Partners with Waikato-Tainui to Deliver 100 Affordable Rental Homes

The partnership will focus on addressing the housing shortage in the Waikato region, which has one of the highest rates of emergency housing use in New Zealand.

A $35 million Government investment will deliver 100 affordable rental homes in partnership with Waikato-Tainui, Associate Minister of Housing Tama Potaka announced today. The partnership will focus on addressing the housing shortage in the Waikato region, which has one of the highest rates of emergency housing use in New Zealand.

The investment will support the Hopuhopu Housing Development, located just north of Ngāruawāhia, and will fund 57 affordable rental homes while providing infrastructure for an additional 43 homes. The development is part of ongoing efforts to address the pressing need for affordable housing in the region.

“The Hopuhopu Housing Development will create better social and community outcomes for the whānau who will live, work, and build cultural identity there,” said Minister Potaka. "With Waikato having the highest emergency housing use and Hamilton ranking third for Housing Register applicants, this partnership is crucial in addressing the housing crisis."

The Hopuhopu land, once confiscated and used as a military camp, was returned to Waikato-Tainui in 1993 as part of the Waikato Raupatu Lands Settlement. The site holds deep significance for the Iwi.

Te Arataura Chair Tukoroirangi Morgan emphasized the importance of the development: “For us, the Hopuhopu Development will enable Waikato-Tainui to realize aspirations for a unique, vibrant, interconnected working, living, and learning community that inspires unity, collaboration, and innovation. The new homes will support whānau with genuine housing need, including kaumātua, and larger whānau homes that are often unavailable or unaffordable in the private rental market.”

The Government’s $35 million funding comes from Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and is delivered through the Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga programme, which fosters local affordable housing solutions in partnership with Iwi and Māori land-owning entities.

Construction is set to begin in late 2024, with an expectation that Iwi members will be directly involved in the development. "This partnership highlights how the Government and Iwi can work together to deliver real solutions to the housing crisis and ensure lasting social returns for our communities," Potaka concluded.