Community Hui on Te Āhuru Mōwai’s new housing development, 7 May 2025

The Paekākāriki Housing Trust recently had the pleasure of co-hosting a community hui at St Peter’s Village Hall in May to share exciting news with the Paekākāriki community. Thanks to local Paranahia Broughton (Ngāti Haumia ki Paekākāriki) for opening the hui and welcoming members of Community Housing Provider Te Āhuru Mōwai.

Paranahia Broughton (left) Tina Pope (right) speaking while standing at the front of the hall in front of the Te Āhuru Mōwai presentation

James Te Puni (Kaiwhakahaere Matua/CEO) and James Goodhue (Kaiwhakawhanake Kāinga/Manager of Housing Development) from Te Āhuru Mōwai led us through the proposed development, which will see the construction of 10 new rental homes on Beach Road, Paekākāriki. 

It was heartening to witness the large turnout from the community, who brought with them a genuine interest in the project and, of course, a lot of questions. We would like to extend our thanks to Te Āhuru Mōwai for their time, energy, and transparency in presenting this development to our community. Their approach—open, generous, and informative—was greatly appreciated, as is their willingness to work with the community to ensure good outcomes for them, their tenants and the Paekākāriki community. 

This development will make a significant contribution to the availability of quality housing in the village. Rents will be 20 percent below the market rate. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s affordable but, with housing costs a serious issue in our village and families being priced out of their homes here, this initiative will provide much-needed relief. We’re pleased to note the mix of homes in the development, which includes four 3-bedroom and four 2-bedroom homes, and two 1.5-bedroom kaumātua homes. The homes will all have designated car parks and there will be shared open spaces, which may include māra kai (food gardens).

Te Āhuru Mōwai, which was established by Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira (Ngāti Toa) in 2020 as a registered Community Housing Provider, is now New Zealand’s largest Māori-owned Community Housing Provider. It is partnering with the New Zealand Government to fund this development, with support from Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga/Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. The project was also supported by the Kāpiti Coast District Council, which provided funding for the initial assessment of the whenua, geotechnical, and wastewater management approach, through its Community and Affordable Housing Seed Fund. As Mr Te Puni noted, “this was one of several factors that influenced Te Āhuru Mōwai’s decision to build in Paekākāriki over other locations”.

James Te Puni (left) listening to a question from Mark Amery (right)

The government attaches a range of criteria for considering who will live in these homes. Mr Te Puni told us that Te Āhuru Mōwai has added additional criteria and “positive weight will be given to whakapapa and other connections to the local community … [and] the Paekākāriki Housing Trust will be consulted”. Mr Te Puni also told us that Te Āhuru Mōwai are open to local businesses having a part in the build where possible, so please get in touch with us at paekakarikihousingtrust@gmail.com soon if that includes you and we’ll advocate for that.

We know a good community is no accident—it’s built with intention, care, and collaboration. We look forward to welcoming and supporting new—and hopefully returning—whānau to Paekākāriki by November 2026, and seeing their contributions to our community.

Mayor Janet Holborow speaking the packed hall

For more details on the development, you can visit the official announcement and see the slideshow from the hui.  If you have questions, please contact us and we’ll do our best to answer them or refer you to the right person.