A blessing of the whenua and a groundbreaking ceremony signaled the beginning of an important initiative aimed at creating new homes for Pacific families in eastern Porirua.
These homes will be part of the Our Whare Our Fale community-led housing initiative, funded by the government and managed by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.
In collaboration with Ngāti Toa, the Central Pacific Collective will build up to 300 affordable, high-quality homes over the next decade in eastern Porirua.
Gerardine Clifford-Lidstone, Secretary for Pacific Peoples, emphasised the importance of this initiative, stating that Pacific peoples face the highest housing needs of any ethnic group in New Zealand.
“To tackle this challenge, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples is supporting initiatives like Our Whare Our Fale, ensuring that affordable and stable housing is available for Pacific communities,” she said.
Construction of the first 18 homes is set to begin in November, with a goal for completion by 2025. Resource consents for the next two sites are currently being processed.