The work of Enabled Wairoa, particularly around its involvement with the new Housing Hub, has drawn ministerial attention with a visit by the Honourable Minister Marama Davidson.

The visit allowed the local provider organisation to showcase its work across health, housing and social services.

Minister Davidson, who is the Associate Minister of housing, with responsibility for addressing homelessness, and Minister of Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, used her time in Wairoa to learn about the enablers and barriers for small rural towns when dealing with government agencies.

The Green Party co-leader described her visit as providing a valuable insight and offering a better understanding of challenges small towns face.

She praised Wairoa’s collaborative approach to its housing needs through its housing coalition and recently created Housing Hub.

Enabled was pivotal in the successful funding application to develop a localised Housing Hub which attracted nearly $1 million from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s Local Innovation and Partnership Fund to enhance the district’s housing options over the next three years by navigating Wairoa’s needs and pathways, from new builds to home ownership.

The hub is the creation of the local housing coalition group and aims to meet the unique housing needs of the Wairoa community.

The outcomes include navigating and transforming Wairoa’s housing space by helping whānau become high performing tenants and landlords; assisting whānau into home ownership and providing information around pāpakainga housing.

The housing coalition was formed as a result of a recognised need for additional housing across the Wairoa district with an immediate shortage of around 150 homes, and with the expected population growth, a likely shortage of around 500 homes over the next 10 years.

7 December 2022

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