A new era of mana Motuhake for Te Āwhina marae

Rātā Foundation is proud to support the papakāinga development at Te Āwhina Marae.

The opening of the first four of twenty new homes late last year was a momentous occasion for the whānau and hapū of Te Āwhina Marae, one that takes them into a new era of mana motuhake, 'living on their terms,' says Leighton Evans, Chief Executive of Rātā.

The Te Tauihu region is facing an affordable housing crisis, with financial hardship one of the biggest barriers to homeownership or access to quality rental options.  Motueka has been particularly hard hit. With more than 26% of people renting in Motueka, rental housing stock is scarce, and demand is high. Only five houses were available to rent in Motueka on Trade Me at the start of August 2023.

The papakāinga development will be a further shift in the paradigm for Te Āwhina whānau and hapū as they look to revitalise their marae by opening new and affordable housing stock. But even more than that, by creating new homes that act as pathways to progress to home ownership, Te Āwhina is empowering whānau to remain in the Motueka area and contribute further to the local community and marae.

The opening of the first four homes marks the beginning of the journey for the wider marae revitalisation. More new homes are to be opened at a dawn ceremony in March. We believe that this project is a great example of a by Māori for Māori approach to delivering much-needed housing stock to meet whānau needs. It will be a transformation that happens across generations.

The papakāinga aligns strongly with Rātā Foundation funding priorities to strengthen communities by supporting connections to people and place in areas of need and enhancing places where people gather, such as marae, in a way that continues to foster a sense of belonging and cultural connection for whānau and the local community. 

Keep a look out for a digital story we are doing on the papakāinga as part of our Faces of Funding series.

Ka pai Te Āwhina – it is a privilege to walk alongside you in this kaupapa.