For Indigenous peoples, housing is never just about walls and roofs — it is about whenua (the land), kinship, and the right to live in ways that uphold identity, culture, and wellbeing. A secure and affordable home provides more than shelter. It creates stability for whānau, a base for education and work, a place to practise culture, and a legacy to pass on to future generations.
Yet across Aotearoa and around the world, Indigenous peoples have faced generations of barriers to safe, affordable, and culturally appropriate housing. Colonisation led to the loss of vast areas of ancestral land, and imposed housing systems that often ignored Indigenous traditions, values, and ways of living. Instead of strengthening whānau and communities, many houses were poorly built, overcrowded, or disconnected from land and culture. These conditions have impacted health, spiritual wellbeing, and opportunities for prosperity.
International agreements, such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, affirm that Indigenous peoples have the right to housing and to be actively involved in shaping housing programmes that affect them. In practice, however, governments have too often centralised decision-making, leaving Indigenous communities with little control. Across Canada, Australia, the United States, and Aotearoa, the result has been housing that is inadequate, expensive, or culturally inappropriate, and Indigenous peoples are over-represented in homelessness statistics.
At the same time, there is enormous potential when housing is re-imagined from an Indigenous perspective. Whānau (families), hapū (sub tribes), and Iwi (tribal) initiatives across the motu (country) are showing how homes can be designed to reflect tikanga (cultural protocols), support intergenerational living, and keep people close to their whenua. Building on Indigenous land can reduce costs and ensure that housing development strengthens connections to place. When repairs, new builds, or papakāinga (villages) are led by Māori and supported with the right resources, the results go far beyond better houses: they foster healthier whānau, stronger communities, and cultural vitality.
Good housing is also part of wider community wellbeing. Safe, warm homes go hand-in-hand with clean water, strong infrastructure, and thriving environments. When Indigenous communities lead the way, housing development becomes an investment not just in buildings, but in futures — nurturing identity, resilience, and prosperity for generations to come.
Housing and land are deeply interconnected. Together, they form the foundation of self-determination, ensuring that Indigenous peoples can live as Indigenous peoples, in homes and communities that reflect who they are and where they come from.
Below are case examples from Australia, Canada and the United States about affording housing for Indigenous people. These were developed as part of the BRANZ funded project on 'Housing solutions for low to moderate income'- reports also below.
Yet across Aotearoa and around the world, Indigenous peoples have faced generations of barriers to safe, affordable, and culturally appropriate housing. Colonisation led to the loss of vast areas of ancestral land, and imposed housing systems that often ignored Indigenous traditions, values, and ways of living. Instead of strengthening whānau and communities, many houses were poorly built, overcrowded, or disconnected from land and culture. These conditions have impacted health, spiritual wellbeing, and opportunities for prosperity.
International agreements, such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, affirm that Indigenous peoples have the right to housing and to be actively involved in shaping housing programmes that affect them. In practice, however, governments have too often centralised decision-making, leaving Indigenous communities with little control. Across Canada, Australia, the United States, and Aotearoa, the result has been housing that is inadequate, expensive, or culturally inappropriate, and Indigenous peoples are over-represented in homelessness statistics.
At the same time, there is enormous potential when housing is re-imagined from an Indigenous perspective. Whānau (families), hapū (sub tribes), and Iwi (tribal) initiatives across the motu (country) are showing how homes can be designed to reflect tikanga (cultural protocols), support intergenerational living, and keep people close to their whenua. Building on Indigenous land can reduce costs and ensure that housing development strengthens connections to place. When repairs, new builds, or papakāinga (villages) are led by Māori and supported with the right resources, the results go far beyond better houses: they foster healthier whānau, stronger communities, and cultural vitality.
Good housing is also part of wider community wellbeing. Safe, warm homes go hand-in-hand with clean water, strong infrastructure, and thriving environments. When Indigenous communities lead the way, housing development becomes an investment not just in buildings, but in futures — nurturing identity, resilience, and prosperity for generations to come.
Housing and land are deeply interconnected. Together, they form the foundation of self-determination, ensuring that Indigenous peoples can live as Indigenous peoples, in homes and communities that reflect who they are and where they come from.
Below are case examples from Australia, Canada and the United States about affording housing for Indigenous people. These were developed as part of the BRANZ funded project on 'Housing solutions for low to moderate income'- reports also below.
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