Waimahia Inlet, Weymouth
In 2014 the Housing Foundation with Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau (a legally recognised collective of 14 Iwi and Hapu whose rohe covers Auckland), Te Tumu Kāinga, managed by the Māori Trustee and CORT agreed to create a limited partnership to deliver 295 affordable homes on land purchased by the Collective as part of the Crown’s economic and cultural redress to Tāmaki Iwi.
This is the first major housing development entirely owned and managed by a partnership between Iwi and the community housing sector. Te Tumu Kāinga, Housing Foundation and CORT established the Waimahia Inlet Neighbourhood Limited Partnership (WINLP) with the purpose of developing the land for affordable housing with the three limited partners agreeing to purchase 60% of the homes on completion.
The role of the Housing Foundation was to manage all aspects of the development and contracted to Tāmaki Makaurau Community Housing Limited to provide these services.
The housing aspect of the development was completed in Quarter 3, 2018. The Limited Partners agreed to fund the construction and ownership of an Early Childhood Education Centre and Community Facility Centre within one building.
On completion 35% of the houses were sold to private buyers. The other 65% of the houses were used for community and social rental, and home ownership programmes of Shared Ownership and Rent to Own (HomeSaver).
Approximately 80% of all households are in some form of ownership tenure with Housing Foundation’s home ownership programme.
Another key aspect and outcome achieved has been the demographic profile, with over 47% of households identifying as Māori households and 20% of households identifying as Pacific Island households.
Housing Foundation was recognised by the Australasian Housing institute in recognising Housing Foundation in its Professional Excellence Awards by awarding Housing Foundation with its top NZ award for Leading Housing Development Project Award in 2017 for Waimahia.
The Residents’ Association is supported in partnership by Housing Foundation. The result has been a very engaged and connected community. The role Housing Foundation played in in the growth of the Community Residents’ Association was recognised by Neighbour Support Organisation in awarding Housing Foundation with a Gold Award for its partnership approach to supporting households and communities by partnering with the community and its support for the Residents’ Associations.