Hikurangi Enterprises Limited (HEL) is working to address the region’s housing needs in Tairāwhiti through their ‘Whare Ora’ model, providing healthy, affordable and accessible housing options across Tairāwhiti.
Supported by a $123k grant from the Trust, HEL expanded its Lytton Road site by acquiring the neighbouring lease. This enabled the team to increase production and build up to ten whare at a time.
The dwellings come in five options, from the small Whare Āwhina sleepout, to the 43m2 Whare Tiaki with a full-size kitchen and separate bedroom. Custom-built cabins tailored to various needs are also available. All buildings exceed building code standards and include piles and council code of compliance.
HEL uses premium materials to ensure the quality of their builds, setting them apart from similar structures in the market. Wood is sourced from WET Gisborne Limited (WGL), a joint venture between Wood Engineering Technology (WET) and Trust Tairāwhiti. WGL produces OEL™ (Optimised Engineered Lumber), using low-value or waste wood to create high-quality structural and laminated lumber, showcasing their commitment to sustainability.
“Developing these whare has been an iterative process with continuous innovation to make them to the highest standard,” says Director Panapa Ehau.
“We’re also developing a progressive home-ownership programme to help whānau rent to own the whare. Our programme is about de-risking the process, with a scaffolding mechanism that includes financial literacy and maintenance training on how to make your budget and home work well.
“Once we have finalised the financing process, we look forward to opening it up to those in need in Te Tairāwhiti.”
In addition to selling directly to private customers, HEL works with community and iwi organisations, recently constructing sites for Ngāti Porou Oranga in Ruatōrea and Te Araroa. Following Cyclone Gabrielle, HEL built ten cabins in just under a month to support displaced whānau, proving their model’s effectiveness and leading to plans for replication in Ruatōrea.
