27 Mar 2012

Housing Minister says fund working well for Maori

8:26 pm on 27 March 2012

Housing Minister Phil Heatley says Maori trusts around the country are achieving good things for their people by taking up the Government's offer of subsidies for new community housing.

He opened a cluster of new rental homes for low-income people in Moerewa in Northland this week, built on Maori land by the Ngati Hine Health Trust.

Mr Heatley says the government has spent about $8 million a year for the last few years on community housing.

He says the added benefit of working with Maori trusts is that they also work to improve the lives of their tenants with other services including health care and budgeting.