A government agency says it's leaving it to Maori to select what sort of homes they want to live in, instead of the decisions being made by what it describes as "officials stuck in ivory towers."
The Social Housing Unit administers funds of $37.35 million that are available to all types of housing providers, with $3 million of that guaranteed for Maori.
Interim director of the unit Michael Pead says they won't be prescriptive about the types of houses that will be approved for funding.
He says the unit wants the housing provider to tell them what will be the right type of accommodation to meet the needs of the whanau being helped into a home.
The Social Housing Unit is a semi-autonomous body within the Department of Building and Housing.
