Census 2023 data found almost 70 percent of Cannons Creek residents (in the heart of eastern Porirua), over half of who are Pasifika, do not own their own a homes. Photo: 123RF
An affordabe housing project in New Zealand has been launched in an effort to support Pacific community members in getting onto the housing ladder.
The project, Our Whare Our Fale, will deliver up to 300 fit-for-purpose, affordable, and multigenerational homes in eastern Porirua.
The houses have been designed to cater to the needs of Pasifika families, their communities, and neighbourhoods.
Census 2023 data found almost 70 percent of Cannons Creek residents (in the heart of eastern Porirua), over half of who are Pasifika, do not own their own a homes.
Central Pacific Collective (CPC) chief executive Fa'amatuainu Tino Pereira said this initiative hopes to change that.
"This is not a development that's just about the houses, it is inherently about the people living their lives in these homes," he said.
"Our Whare Our Fale celebrates the Pasifika community's sacred relationships - their obligations and commitments to each other through extended family - and their deep connections to who they are, their genealogies and their responsibilities to generations to come."
The project is strongly supported by the New Zealand government, with the appropriation managed by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.
A total of $115 million was awarded in Budget 2022, providing a significant long-term boost to the social and economic life of Porirua and the wider Wellington region.