A Kaitaia Maori trust that's helped hundreds of families stave off mortgagee sales, has signed off on a deal to build affordable houses for low-income families.
He Korowai Trust has just bought a block of land bordering Kaitaia and plans to build 19 homes on it for people now living in what it calls "horrible" conditions.
Manager Ricky Houghton says 50% of the funding will come from the government's social-housing fund and the trust will borrow the rest on the commercial market.
He says the families will pay no more than $220 a week to buy their homes over 20 years, while the Trust will own the land.
It will help home buyers with budgeting and health-care advice.
Mr Houghton says the 20 hectare block purchased by the trust is rural land so the residents will be able to help support themselves with community gardens and will be able to keep chickens and livestock.
