How we work:
We do what conventional finance cannot.
Kaenga Hou creates home ownership pathways on Māori land in places where standard mortgage lending does not operate. We work alongside iwi, hapū, marae, and community housing providers to structure ownership for whānau, one project at a time.
Why conventional finance doesn't work:
Conventional mortgage lending requires fee simple title, standard credit history, and property values that support a standard loan-to-value ratio. Māori freehold land, papakāinga, and collectively owned land often meet none of these criteria. This isn’t due to any failure by whānau, but because the lending system was not designed for these structures.
Kaenga Hou exists to fill that gap.
How we structure ownership:
We work with capital providers such as iwi, impact investors, and aligned funders to provide lending that suits the land tenure and the community context. We manage the loan, support whānau through the process, and stay involved post-settlement to strengthen long-term ownership outcomes.
We do not develop housing. Our role is to enable whānau to purchase or build within developments where conventional lending cannot reach.
If you are an iwi, hapū, marae, community housing provider, or developer working on a project where conventional finance is a barrier, we want to hear from you.
Pathways to Home Ownership
Every project is different, so we don’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution. The right tool depends on the project, the land tenure, and the readiness of whānau involved. Our primary home ownership pathway is Shared Ownership, with Licence to Occupy on whenua Māori and Rent to Buy arrangements being additional options we can implement in the right situation.
He Ara Mau Kaenga
Our He Ara Mau Kaenga pathway walks whānau from first contact through to independent home ownership across seven supported steps.
Start your journey
Financial education
Planning (Tōku Rautaki Hoko Kāenga)
Approval and agreements
Buy or build and move in
Occupancy support
Become an independent homeowner