20 Jun 2013

Mana wants to provide houses to Maori first-home buyers

3:24 pm on 20 June 2013

The Mana Movement wants to build 10,000 state houses annually and then either sell or rent them to Maori.

Mana on Thursday announced its housing policy in the Lower Hutt suburb of Pomare.

Party leader Hone Harawira says Mana would update and extend a former Maori Affairs housing loan scheme to help Maori into their own homes.

He said first home buyers would be offered low-interest deals on newly-built $200,000 homes, with no deposit.

Mr Harawira said the party has not done any costings on the policy, but, with a change in the Government's priorities, it could be done.

He said only 45% of Maori own their own homes, compared with 70% of pakeha.