<![CDATA[KĀINGA TAHI, KĀINGA RUA - Blog]]>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 19:17:22 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Sen̓áḵw: Indigenous Authority and the Future of Urban Housing]]>Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:59:47 GMThttps://www.poipoia.net/blog/april-03rd-2026​On the southern edge of downtown Vancouver, the Squamish Nation is reshaping what urban housing can look like when it is grounded in Indigenous authority. The Sen̓áḵw development—built on reserve land at the foot of the Burrard Bridge—is not simply a housing project. It is a powerful expression of jurisdiction, economic strategy, and long-term vision.
What makes Sen̓áḵw distinctive is that it operates outside the constraints that typically govern municipal development. Because the land is reserve land, the Squamish Nation is able to exercise its own planning authority. This has enabled a scale and density that would have been difficult—if not impossible—under city zoning rules. Thousands of rental homes are being constructed, in a city facing acute housing shortages, with revenues flowing back to the Nation.
​But Sen̓áḵw is not an isolated initiative. It sits within a broader ecosystem of Squamish-led housing approaches, including partnerships through entities such as Hiy̓ám̓ Housing and collaborations with regional housing organisations. Together, these initiatives reflect a shift from being positioned as recipients of housing policy to being architects of housing futures.
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Importantly, the development also reflects a different set of priorities. While it is market-facing, it is underpinned by intergenerational thinking—creating a long-term revenue stream to support Squamish people, including housing, services, and wellbeing. It demonstrates how Indigenous governance can operate at scale in contemporary urban contexts, without relinquishing its grounding in land, people, and responsibility.
At a time when housing systems across Aotearoa and globally are under strain, Sen̓áḵw offers more than a model—it offers a provocation. What becomes possible when Indigenous peoples are able to plan, build, and govern on their own terms?

Links

Squamish Nation
Project Website - ​A Modern Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Village
Joel MacManus, Spinoff - ​Inside the Canadian apartments redefining indigenous housing
​Squamish Community Housing Society
​Other Squamish housing projects
]]><![CDATA[Indigenous Peoples, Land ANd Housing]]>Sun, 21 Sep 2025 00:01:18 GMThttps://www.poipoia.net/blog/indigenous-peoples-land-and-housing​For Indigenous peoples, housing is never just about shelter. A whare (house, dwelling), a wigwam, a longhouse, or a hogan is more than four walls — it is an anchor of identity, whakapapa (genealogy, ancestral connections), and belonging. Housing is inseparable from whenua (land), whānau (extended family), and culture. It is about living in a way that sustains life, honours ancestors, and provides security for generations to come.
​Across Aotearoa (New Zealand) and around the world, however, Indigenous peoples have faced deep disruptions to their housing systems. Colonisation led to massive land loss, the forced relocation of families, and the imposition of housing models that often ignored Indigenous ways of living. Instead of papakāinga (communal housing on ancestral land) and collective forms of tenure, governments promoted single-family houses detached from culture and kinship. These policies undermined not only housing security but also the ability of Indigenous peoples to sustain their cultural practices and exercise tino rangatiratanga or self-determination.
​Today, housing inequalities remain stark. Māori in Aotearoa, for example, have experienced a dramatic decline in home ownership since the 1980s. By 2013, over three-quarters of Māori households lived in rental accommodation, often in homes that were cold, damp, and insecure. Many older Māori who once accessed state-assisted mortgages are now replaced by generations locked out of ownership and forced into precarious tenancies. Similar stories echo across Canada, Australia, and the United States, where Indigenous families are more likely to live in overcrowded, poor-quality housing, or to experience homelessness.
​The impacts ripple outwards. Research shows that poor housing conditions are directly linked to poor health, stress, and reduced educational and employment opportunities. Cold, damp homes worsen respiratory illness. Short leases and insecure tenure create instability for whānau, making it harder to connect to schools, jobs, or community life. Housing costs consume a disproportionate share of income, leaving little for other essentials. In this way, housing injustice deepens cycles of poverty and marginalisation.
​Yet Indigenous peoples have also shown enormous resilience. Whānau Māori, for instance, continue to turn houses into homes filled with whanaungatanga (connection), manaakitanga (care), and tikanga (customary practices, correct ways of doing things). Even in rentals, families create belonging through photos, taonga, and whakapapa ties. Research with Māori whānau describes how the real meaning of home is not in its monetary value, but in the security, cultural fit, and ability to sustain relationships across generations.
​There are also powerful examples of Indigenous-led housing innovation. Papakāinga developments in Aotearoa reconnect families to ancestral land while enabling contemporary living. In Canada, urban Indigenous organisations such as Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services deliver culturally grounded housing and services for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit families. In the U.S. and Australia, Indigenous housing providers are embedding design principles that reflect community values, local materials, and collective ownership models. These initiatives show what is possible when Indigenous peoples lead solutions.
​The evidence is clear: secure, affordable, culturally appropriate housing is central to Indigenous wellbeing. It supports hauora (health), strengthens whānau, and sustains language, culture, and identity. It is also a matter of justice — fulfilling rights affirmed in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and other human rights frameworks.
​Looking ahead, real transformation will require governments and funders to partner with Indigenous communities, recognise land and housing as taonga, and invest in solutions that restore rather than undermine tino rangatiratanga. Affordable housing production must be revitalised, rental conditions improved, and pathways to ownership expanded. Above all, Indigenous leadership must be at the heart of decision-making.
​Housing, land, and people are inseparable. For Indigenous peoples, restoring this connection is not just about fixing houses. It is about healing histories, affirming identity, and building futures where whānau can truly flourish.
Glossary
Aotearoa – New Zealand
Whare – House, dwelling
Whakapapa – Genealogy, ancestral connections
Whānau – Extended family
Whenua – Land
Papakāinga – Communal or village-style housing, often on ancestral land
Tikanga – Customary practices, correct ways of doing things
Taonga – Treasures, sacred or valued possessions
Whanaungatanga – Kinship, connection, sense of belonging
Manaakitanga – Hospitality, generosity, care for others
Hauora – Health, wellbeing
Tino rangatiratanga – Self-determination, sovereignty
]]><![CDATA[FAAB Homes: Small, Smart, and Ready for the Future]]>Sun, 07 Sep 2025 22:40:14 GMThttps://www.poipoia.net/blog/faab-homes-small-smart-and-ready-for-the-futureThe FAAB Small Homes research project—short for Functional, Affordable, Accessible, Buildable—has wrapped up, and the message is clear: small homes can make a big difference for Aotearoa New Zealand’s housing future.
At their heart, FAAB homes are compact (45–75m²), but they’re designed to be more than just small. They are functional, supporting everyday life across all ages and stages; affordable, helping whānau manage costs; accessible, enabling older people and those with disabilities to live well; and buildable, offering practical solutions that can actually be delivered at scale.
The research found that demand for small dwellings is only growing. One- and two-person households now make up the majority of new household growth, yet most new homes being built are still too big and too expensive. FAAB homes show how housing can be better matched to today’s needs while easing pressure on affordability and sustainability.
Importantly, the FAAB project worked alongside hapū and iwi to bring cultural perspectives forward. Ngāti Kapu, based in Ōtaki, reminded us that small homes are not new—they are part of Māori heritage. Traditional whare built from raupō and timber were warm, sustainable, and connected to whakapapa, whenua, and whānau. Today, these values continue to shape aspirations for housing that is both practical and deeply rooted in place.
Our small research team wanted to know what FAAB homes might mean for Māori. Through interviews, design activities, and kōrero with 17 Māori participants, we explored whether small homes can truly be homes for whānau. Using Te Whare Tapa Whā, a Māori model of wellbeing, participants highlighted that a home is more than shelter—it’s a place of whānau connection, manaakitanga (hospitality), cultural identity, and future security. Many saw potential in small homes for rangatahi (young people), single parents, and papakāinga (village) developments, provided the designs were grounded in Māori values and accessible across life stages.
So what’s next? The FAAB research has shown that small homes can be part of the solution to some of our biggest housing problems—affordability, ageing, and sustainability. But for this to happen, planning rules and building practices need to catch up. FAAB homes aren’t about squeezing people into tiny boxes. They’re about smart design that fits how we live now and into the future; that is, homes that are smaller, but better.
]]><![CDATA[climate-resilient housing]]>Thu, 22 Aug 2024 06:46:26 GMThttps://www.poipoia.net/blog/climate-resilient-housing
Read the two reports from the Te Kinakina Wetlands research on climate-resilient housing with Dr James Berghan.
KA MUA, KA MURI outlines our research on designing Māori housing and kāinga that enable Māori to be well-housed and at home on their whenua. Drawing from existing literature, we focused specifically on how whare and kāinga can be designed with the impacts of climate change in mind.
RESILIENT is a workbook for starting conversations about climate-resilient housing.
]]><![CDATA[He Kāinga Mokopuna Designs]]>Wed, 21 Aug 2024 21:46:50 GMThttps://www.poipoia.net/blog/he-kainga-mokopuna-designs
In August 2024 I attended the He Kāinga Mokopuna Designs webinar and was really impressed with their project and their willingness to share the architectural designs they'd developed for affordable housing. 
The designs are available through their website and you can also watch the webinar and other clips. As they say on their website:

"Our research project stems from the pressing need for whānau in Tāmaki Makaurau to expand their living solutions as whānau grow and need more space. In today's economic climate, finding affordable and suitable housing has become increasingly challenging. This project explores innovative ways to create affordable, sustainable living solutions that respects cultural values and meets the expanding needs of whānau. By conducting in-depth cost analyses, streamlining council consent processes, and developing user-friendly resources, we aim to provide practical and effective solutions for our community."
]]><![CDATA[Team dinner, 16 April 2024]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2024 04:22:15 GMThttps://www.poipoia.net/blog/team-dinner-16-april-2024On the evening of 16 April 2024 we gathered at Jarks in Hastings for a team dinner before we presented our research to our Te Kura i Awarua Rangahau Māori colleagues at EIT the next morning. 
]]><![CDATA[BNZ has created a solution to lending for housing on Māori land]]>Wed, 24 Jan 2024 08:57:52 GMThttps://www.poipoia.net/blog/bnz-has-created-a-solution-to-lending-for-housing-on-maori-land

​Lending on Māori land a pathway to prosperity

BNZ is sharing its new Māori land-lending framework with other banks to allow homes to be built on communal land
Newsroom Article, 11 January 2024

"The new framework employs standard leasehold mortgage lending practices, underpinned by a confidential Deed of Understanding. This means that in the face of any challenges, the land integrity and control is preserved with the iwi or hapū – in this case Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, who would take over in the event of a distressed mortgage."

hawaiki

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei are leveraging the BNZ lending initiative to build a 24 home development called Hawaiki. It is in central Auckland, on the corner of Hawaiki Street and Kupe Street.

"We are building 24 one, two and four-bedroom terraced homes for our Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei whānau to own, and to assist whānau into home ownership. ... More homes allows for more of our whānau to help maintain our ahi kaa, our long history and connection to our whenua."
]]><![CDATA[The New Government & Māori Housing]]>Tue, 23 Jan 2024 06:44:56 GMThttps://www.poipoia.net/blog/the-new-government-maori-housing

A Spinoff Opinion piece by Annie Te One and Jacqueline Paul explores the implications of the coalition government's housing policies

"There needs to be strong commitments in housing laws and policies that recognise upholding and honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations in order to address housing access disparities for Māori communities. However, the lack of acknowledgement from the coalition government and rapid changes already underway suggest that the importance of housing as a Treaty right will continue to be a point of struggle for Māori and allies."
]]><![CDATA[Emacipatory Research Symposium, 7 July 2023]]>Wed, 12 Jul 2023 20:58:50 GMThttps://www.poipoia.net/blog/emacipatory-research-symposium7-july-2023
Tepora and Fiona had the immense pleasure of travelling to New Orleans to keynote at the Emancipatory Research Symposium organised by the Center for Equity, Justice and the Human Spirit, Xavier University. The Center is led by Dr Cirecie West-Olatunji, who hosted a reception the evening before the Symposium. Music at the reception was provided by Dr. Michael White Cortez. Included in the quartet was trumpeter Gregg Stafford who was celebrating his 70th birthday. The following day we talked about Poipoia te Kākano, Kia Puāwai, including showing clips of the researchers talking about their research.
]]><![CDATA[Te KinaTina Wetlands Opening]]>Fri, 21 Apr 2023 22:23:00 GMThttps://www.poipoia.net/blog/te-kinatina-wetlands-opening
At 11am on Saturday 15 April 2023 we gathered on Te Kinakina Wetlands to witness the blessing of Kathleen Morrison's exhibition by Rev. Elaine Kasper and Rev. Te Raumiria McRoberts. Kathleen had carved Papatūānuku (Mother Earth, on left) and Tane Mahuta (guardian of the forest, on the right) to stand watch over the wetlands.  They were accompanied by five god sticks. This 'exhibition' was the culmination of her and Violet's research with Poipoia te kākano, kia puāwai. When the blessing was complete we sat down and ate together.
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