Rotorua iwi Ngāti Whakaue is launching an affordable home scheme for whānau on a subdivision it is developing.
Photo: Supplied / Ngāti Whakaue
Eight houses will be offered in the first stage of the development in Owhata, with dozens more opened up in future stages.
Ngāti Whakaue Tribal Lands general manager Ray Morrison said they would be priced at $500,000, which is $100,000 lower than the city's median price.
He said it is the first step the iwi's taking to utilise its land to help whānau into homes.
"Our 6500 odd owners and beneficiaries have told us housing is [their] number one issue," he said.
"Rotorua has a pretty acute housing shortage, we've just got to look at what we can do to open housing across the board."
A ballot system would operate, with Ngāti Whakaue shareholders and whānau given first preference, Morrison said.
Morrison said Ngāti Whakaue's also looking to help with long term rental support, and to help kaumātua who may be interested in papakāinga options.
"We've got our wider block, which encompasses sort of 3000 hectares which is Māori whenua land, so obviously can't be sold," he said.
"But ultimately we want to open up some of that stuff, we're looking at all sorts of things. There's obviously long-term rental, social housing developments, there's papakāinga, there's retirement villages, all of those things we can do long term."
Eligible iwi members will be able to apply from next week.