Auckland's largest hapu plans to have 30 new homes built for its descendants by 2015.
Ngati Whatua Orakei is investing $10 million in the Kainga Tuatahi development on tribal land.
Sub-tribe chair Grant Hawke says more than 300 whanau have expressed an interest in buying one of the new homes.
The project is being lead by Whai Rawa, the sub-tribe's property development and investment arm, and the hapu says it's building mostly apartments and terraced housing because land is in short supply.
If it continues to build standalone houses many whanau over the years will not have the ability to live on the papakainga, or traditional Maori estate, it says.
The site is near Orakei Marae at Takaparawha, or Bastion Point, in Tamaki Makaurau.
Some run-down houses at the bottom of Kupe Street have been removed to make way for the new housing, and concept designs are expected to be finalised by the end of December.
