Housing is at crisis point. Conservatively, in February 2021, there were more than 550 whānau without adequate housing and around 360 people, including many children, having to live in emergency accommodation in motels.

We have established a connected effort amongst the key organisations involved in housing. Together we have produced a regional housing strategy and a regional housing stocktake, established a Housing Steering Group and made submissions and recommendations to Gisborne District Council on housing matters.

Our focus will be on rapidly increasing the supply of sufficient quality and affordable homes in Tairāwhiti as our whānau are telling us they need. We will continue to identify current housing projects and opportunities so we can understand barriers to housing development and break them down.

We will work with Kāinga Ora to increase public housing supply in Gisborne and with the Ministry of Social Development and non-government organisations to increase emergency housing options. Rapid action is essential. We will work with Gisborne District Council to ensure that the rules around land use don’t unreasonably constrain rapid housing and papakāinga development. We will increase the number of Community Housing Providers in Tairāwhiti to ensure whānau can access subsidised accommodation.