Mana in the house

The Mana Movement have released their housing policy to help Māori get into their own homes and it is a beauty. Only 45% of Māori own their own homes compared to 70% for pākehā and that inequity must be addressed. In an awesome speech, Mana candidate for the Ikaroa Rāwhiti by-election, Te Hamua Nikora outlined the reasons why this new initiative is needed and those reasons include the unaffordbility of current housing, the shortage of state housing and the fact of currently empty state houses. He talks about a new warrant of fitness for all state houses and the reasons why this is important - the major one being the health of occupants, as he says

Mana Housing Policy

It was actually the tuberculosis crisis in East Coast communities in 1935 that gave rise to the original Maori Affairs Housing scheme; it’s an absolute bloody disgrace that 80 years later Maori are facing another health crisis, rheumatic fever.

It is disgrace! So how does the new initiative work?

MANA wants to build 10,000 state houses a year, 500 immediately in Ikaroa Rawhiti, as a first step to ensuring that every whanau that needs a home can get one, either to rent or to own. 

MANA would run the scheme through a restructured Te Puni Kokiri, in the same way that Maori Affairs ran the scheme in the past. 

Government finance would come through Te Puni Kokiri, effectively cutting out banks and their mean-spirited attitude to Maori homeowners.

Only Maori first home owners would be able to apply.

There would be no deposit.

Interest rates would be no higher than the rates government pays on money it borrows.

Applicants can either build new or buy an existing property

Applicants will be able to negotiate mortgage arrangements that suit their circumstances.

MANA’s policy would fully restart Maori Trade Training in all the housing apprenticeships – carpentry, electrician, plumber, glazier, painting, roofing and drain-laying – and provide direct employment to hundreds of young Maori, reversing unemployment of 5,000 in Ikaroa Rawhiti and sending a positive message to those in Australia as well.

It is a win-win – our people get jobs building decent homes for our whanau.

This is a great policy and it is important that it is tied into Trade Training for Māori. Te Hamua then discusses the Labour policy and he doesn’t pull any punches on that one.

Labour’s plan to build 100,000 houses, mainly in Auckland, for $500,000, will do nothing for Maori home buyers in Ikaroa-Rawhiti.

But in truth, that has always been Labour’s way – to talk big about things Maori but to deliver little.

Labour talks about trade training, but it was Labour that ended the country’s most successful apprenticeship programme, the Maori Trade Training Scheme.

It was Labour that killed off the Maori Affairs Housing Scheme that had successfully housed tens of thousands of Maori families.

It was Labour that stole our rights to the foreshore and seabed. 

It was Labour that got rid of targeted funding for Maori.

It was Labour that launched the terrorist raids on the people of Tuhoe.

It was Labour who said that Maori don’t own the water.

The sad fact is that Labour has held the seat of Ikaroa-Rawhiti for 62 years and yet Maori employment, health, education, justice and housing have all suffered under their watch.

That is the truth about Labour – big talk but when you actually look at what they do sadly they are similar to National in outcomes for Māori. I have hope that Mana and Te Hamua will win the by-election and show Labour that words are worthless without action. This speech really showed that Te Hamua is a very very good candidate and deserves the seat.

Mana care about all people in this country and the final statement from Te Hamua confirms this

We know that housing is not just an issue that affects Maori; it affects every family on a low income. That’s why John Minto, will be announcing MANA’s wider housing policy on 23 July as a part of our MINTO FOR MAYOR Campaign.

The Mana Movement is growing - if you haven't joined get on board now and enjoy the ride from the beginning!!!

It was actually the tuberculosis crisis in East Coast communities in 1935 that gave rise to the original Maori Affairs Housing scheme; it’s an absolute bloody disgrace that 80 years later Maori are facing another health crisis, rheumatic fever. - See more at: http://mana.net.nz/2013/06/mana-housing-policy-announcement-for-maori-te-hamua-nikora-ikaroa-rawhiti-mana-candidate/#sthash.KGUXlzus.dpuf

It was actually the tuberculosis crisis in East Coast communities in 1935 that gave rise to the original Maori Affairs Housing scheme; it’s an absolute bloody disgrace that 80 years later Maori are facing another health crisis, rheumatic fever. - See more at: http://mana.net.nz/2013/06/mana-housing-policy-announcement-for-maori-te-hamua-nikora-ikaroa-rawhiti-mana-candidate/#sthash.KGUXlzus.dpuf

It was actually the tuberculosis crisis in East Coast communities in 1935 that gave rise to the original Maori Affairs Housing scheme; it’s an absolute bloody disgrace that 80 years later Maori are facing another health crisis, rheumatic fever. - See more at: http://mana.net.nz/2013/06/mana-housing-policy-announcement-for-maori-te-hamua-nikora-ikaroa-rawhiti-mana-candidate/#sthash.KGUXlzus.dpuf

Te Hamua Nikora

Te Hamua Nikora

Te Hamua Nikora

Ikaroa-Rawhiti

Ikaroa-Rawhiti

Ikaroa-Rawhiti

bitter bob

It is pretty disappointing when someone rips into a good initiative for Māori. In Tauranga ex-MP bob the builder clarkson is having a go at some excellent much needed housing for Māori. The initiative is great but bob shows his real agenda and it is one we have seen many times before. But first the initiative

Bay of Plenty Times

The community housing project at Mangatawa Marae was officially formalised in July 2010, with stage one of the project, 16 small homes for kuia and kaumatua (elderly), completed last year.

The project's next stage involves 12 three- to five-bedroom family homes built and infrastructure for eight more.

The 12 houses will have affordable rents, calculated by the tenant's income and the last eight will be kaianga whenua, or personally owned.

When the project is finished there will be 36 houses in the Papakainga housing project.

We need so much more of this community housing. It is the way of the future - live near each other in housing suitable for purpose with shared areas and community areas. The money has come from a grant

It has come from Putea Maori, a $13 million capital grant fund available to Maori for the purpose of increasing affordable rental housing. Putea Maori is part of the Social Housing Unit, which has set aside $104 million during three years (2012-15) to help people get good quality homes through community housing.

It is great that there is dedicated finance for this although obviously the amounts should be much much more to really make a difference and alleviate suffering. Now bob has started off on the wrong foot

"It's bloody lovely. I've got nothing against Maori but...

It's always the but isn't it? It doesn't occur to this dim that it is not the fault of Māori that they were able to secure funding dedicated to that purpose. They should be praised not attacked. Bob then rants on about how it should be open to all and so on but really it is about his pet project being rejected - he is bitter.

But Mr Clarkson said it was not fair for one section of the community to be eligible for funds when many in the wider population also suffered.

The city council last year "shot down" his plan to provide 1000 affordable homes for $280,000 each. Everyone should be able to access affordable housing, no matter what colour their skin was, he said.

and there he gives us the whole picture - skin colour. People like clarkson are insidious in their racism - it's all pretend, pretend, pretend whammy! pretend, pretend ad nauseaum - it is an old game and relatively successful which is why it is so common. You can't argue with these people or rather there is no point because they cannot be truthful and honest, they prefer to hide and pretend. But the truth comes out obliquely, they slip and they say things as clarkson has above. There are many people who think like clarkson, hell we know some of them and the online poll shows currently

Ridiculous. This should be available to non-Maori, too  83%

It's fair. It's much harder for Maori to afford a home      17%

Nice that stacked question isn't it not? Just more of the same. Meanwhile the houses are getting built for Māori and that is a great effort. Kia kaha.