Hapū Housing Solutions are committed to ensuring Mana Whenua has a place to call home. Papakāinga is a way to secure housing solutions for Iwi, Hapū and Whanau.

As a result of the WAI 2750 Housing Policy Services Inquiry, the Inquiry strengthened Crown and Māori papakāinga so, that together, they can provide long-term housing solutions that reset the housing system for Māori.

Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has funding for housing developments. This funding is life-changing for whanau, Hapū and Iwi. (

Let us help you achieve your dream of papakāinga for you and your whanau.

Māori Housing Statistics

Māori homeownership rates are around 30% compared to the 60% for the general population, and this number is steeply declining.

Māori represent 36% of public housing tenants while representing around 17% of Aotearoa’s population.

Māori are 5 times more likely to be homeless compared to Tauiwi/Pakeha.

Overcrowding and intergenerational housing crisis are also more likely to be felt by whanau Māori

1: Whanau, Whanau, Whanau!

Is your trust in place - This is if the whenua is owned by multiple people (greater than 7)

If you are a Maori Freehold Landowner and have less than 7 owners on the title a trust is not required. However, all owners will need to agree to proceed for papkāinga.

Develop and share your vision with your whānau. This step will involve a lot of kōrero, hui and initial research and is often a time consuming step in the papakāinga housing development process. All Whanau will need to be in agreement to develop a papakāinga and you cannot proceed to the next step until “All say Ae”

Options to think about are:

Kaumatua Housing

Whanau Housing

Rental or Rent to Own Home

Pā Harakeke/ Māra Kai/ Agri or Horticulture

The question to ask is, What Will Our Homes Provide?

It is point, you or your trust can proceed to the feasibility and planning development stage.

For more information on Papakāinga Planning please click here

2: Whenua!

When you have completed the Whanau step, now is the time to look to the whenua and begin to design your vision.

This phase of the project will see Land Surveyors, Project Managers, Architects and Estimators/Quantity Surveyors gather information on your behalf.

Feasibility looks at the environment you intend to put your papakāinga on. And seeks to ensure the land and the services you wish to apply to it, is compliant.

You may investigate any environmental impacts and apply for Resource Management Consent at this stage.

Whanau are required to ensure that they have at least 25% of construction costs available to proceed to the ‘Whare Phase’ of the project!

Engaging with financial experts at this point is advised.

For more on financial packages available for whanau Māori please click here.

For a checklist on feasibility funding, please click here.

To view the Feasibility Application Form, please click here.

To access Papakāinga project viability toolkit please click here.

3: Due Diligence

This is when you'll work with any funding providers to negotiate funding. They'll do a thorough assessment of your project and will expect to see things like:

  • business case and project plan

  • resource and building consents

  • cost estimates and quotes

  • projected ongoing operating costs and revenue for the papakāinga

  • project management details.

What is a business plan?

A business plan outlines what needs to happen in the short term to help achieve your long term goals for the whenua.

It doesn't have to be long, it just needs to outline what you're going to do, when, why and how.

It should tie to the strategic plan, with clear actions and ways to measure your work towards achieving the strategic outcomes.

The business plan:

  • is short term, usually outlining work to be done in a year

  • focuses on detail, the ‘how’

  • sets out the action

  • is measurable

  • is action-oriented.

4: Whare

Building and Project Management

With all your funding, project plans and consents in place, infrastructure and building work can begin.

All legal and financial advisors should be engaged slightly before Building begins!

5: Whole of Life Management

Whole of life refers to ensuring that papakainga are not only reaching the practical life line, but also placing preventative maintenance as a program of works for whanau to manage. This ensures operational expenditure (OPEX) and future capital expenditure (CAPEX) is programmed and forecast into whanau trust/land owner budgets.

Whenua Māori Papakāinga

Developing a papakāinga on your whenua can be a way to help whānau with quality affordable housing and to provide ongoing accommodation and/or revenue for future generations.

Papakāinga also reflects a whānau support system — the kāinga are more than physical assets. They provide opportunities for whānau to strengthen connections between generations, reinforce cultural and spiritual identities, and Te Reo Maori revitalisation.

However, obstacles like planning restrictions, lack of infrastructure and getting consent from multiple owners can make development a long and sometimes difficult process.

Here is a step by step guide to build your papakainga. You can use this guide to determine where you are and what the next steps are for you to progress.

Papakāinga model refers to at least 3 houses on whenua.

When considering papakainga design, Te Kooti Ture Whenua/Māori Land Court advise that a house site is around 0.1.11 hectares in area, or, 1/4 of an acre for the purpose of occupation. This is general advice and each papakainga model will be considered individually.

It can take several years to even get to build stage, but it should be quicker if you're organised, have a governance structure in place and have good whānau engagement and communication.

Please note we are not financial advisors, and do not have the authority to inform people of their financial capabilities. When you are at a position to seek lending, we advise all whanau to seek financial and legal from the professionals.