Kāinga Ora to slash Māori housing team by half

photo: Royal Bank of New Zealand

Kāinga Ora is proposing to halve the size of the team it has set up to meet Māori housing needs and meet Treaty of Waitangi obligations.

Te Kurutao Group Māori has 48 full-time staff and is in consultation with them about plans to cut 27 positions.

This brings the total number of proposed layoffs at the agency to 232. Wider public sector cost-cutting measures.

Have you been affected by public sector layoffs? lauren.crimp@rnz.co.nz

The Public Service Association (PSA) said Te Kurutao helped Kāinga Ora fulfil its legislative function, which was to “understand, support and realise Māori aspirations for urban development”.

Statistics from the Department of Housing and Urban Development show 39 per cent of Kāinga Ora tenants are Māori.

Janice Panoho from PSA Te Kaihautū Māori said: “This is a step too far. Providing healthy, safe and affordable housing for Māori is more important than ever if we want to truly end poverty in this country.”

“Te Kurutao is a team of specialists who bring a Māori perspective to housing issues, assisting other staff at Kāinga Ora and advising Māori on funding and planning issues.”

She said their work supported Kāinga Ora to turn ideas into projects that provided affordable, quality housing for hapū and Māori organisations.

Kāinga Ora said Te Kurutao Group Māori was one of the teams affected. Reduce budget funds.

Te Kurutao Group Māori deputy chief executive Ringa Raupa said its proposed changes “will be consistent with the legislative obligations we have to meet and the new funding levels”.

‘Disappointing’ – Māori housing advocate

Ali Hamlin-Paenga, acting chief executive of Māori housing advocacy group Te Matapihi, said it was vital to have a dedicated team within Kāinga Ora for Māori.

She said Te Matapihi and Te Kurutao had a “very close relationship” and worked together to support Māori and ensure their housing needs were met.

“(The kurutaur people) understand the Māori world, they understand tikanga, they understand … whenua, papakāinga, they know what papakāinga means to whānau,” she said.

“We’re often told … ‘everyone understands’, ‘everyone will work with you to deliver people’s housing aspirations’, but that’s often not the case – so it’s really important to focus on Māori and work with allies within the Crown institutions.”

Hamlin-Paenga said the cuts were “disappointing” with that in mind.

“There is a common theme that emerges across all of our Crown institutions … there are departments that have been set up within the Crown institutions that have been specifically set up to support Māori.”

But she said Te Matapihi would continue to “work together” with staff remaining at Te Kurutao to ensure the best outcomes for Māori.