12. Question No. 12—Housing (Māori Housing)TĀMATI COFFEY (Labour) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing)Question No. 12—Housing (Māori Housing)12. TĀMATI COFFEY (Labour) to the Associate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing): What recent announcements has he made about supporting Māori housing? Hon PEENI HENARE (Associate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing)): Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. On 28 September 2021 we launched MAIHI Ka Ora—The National Māori Housing Strategy a strategy I am proud to be a part of. I say part of" because this is a strategy that has come about through a true partnership with Māori: a document that articulates Māori aspirations the role of the Crown and the outcomes we will work together to achieve. Also in Gisborne last week together with my colleagues the Minister of Housing and the Minister for Māori Development we launched Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga fund which is a combination of investment funds from Budget 2021 and this investment is a total of $730 million for housing supply and infrastructure for Māori whānau. Tāmati Coffey: How will the national Māori strategy and Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga fund strengthen housing aspirations for Māori? Hon PEENI HENARE: This Government is committed to the vision that all whānau have safe healthy affordable homes with secure tenure across the Māori housing continuum. Our National Māori Housing Strategy was described by Māori architectural designer and writer Jade Kake as a "game changer". The purpose of the strategy is to provide strategic direction to current and future policy process and investment decisions that impact Māori housing. One of the priorities identified in the strategy is the need to grow and invest in Māori housing supply. Earlier in the year we secured the largest investment Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga ever made towards Māori housing. Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga will include immediate housing supply and repairs but more importantly it will deliver support for Māori-led regional groups to scale up their housing developments over the next five to 10 years. In the development of the strategy iwi and Māori have articulated clearly that we need to commit towards Māori-led local solutions. Whai Kāinga helps create that space to allow Māori housing solutions to thrive and together the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Te Puni Kōkiri will move at pace to invest in an existing pipeline of Māori-led developments. Tāmati Coffey: How can Māori and iwi groups access Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga investment? Hon PEENI HENARE: That's a very good question. Today the project pathway of the Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga fund has gone live and is now open and it can be found on the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development website. The immediate focus is investments through the project pathway with agencies working with iwi stakeholders to design a new programme approach to deliver Māori housing. Whānau hapū iwi and Māori organisations with housing aspirations can now apply for Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga investment housing supply repairs papa kāinga and capability. Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga has two pathways for allocating investment: the project pathway which will be open today and is nationwide; the programme pathway will open early next year and this pathway focuses on delivery through regional partners. The initial focus is on regions such as the Tai Tokerau Tai Rāwhiti Heretaunga Taranaki and the central North Island including Bay of Plenty and the Rotorua."