Kāinga Whenua

The Kāinga Whenua Loan Scheme is an initiative between Kāinga Ora and Kiwibank to help Māori achieve home ownership on their multiple-owned land.

The loans are available for both Māori land trusts, and individuals with a right to occupy their multiple-owned Māori land. The requirements and application process are different, so please select the option you are interested in to learn more.

Obtaining finance to develop housing on Māori land can be difficult because the land status makes it problematic for lenders to take security over the house and land, as they do with normal housing loans. A Kāinga Whenua loan is secured only against the house, not against the house and land as with most home loans.

Kiwibank approves and provides the loan, and you will need to meet their standard lending criteria as well as the Kāinga Whenua criteria. Kāinga Ora provides lenders’ mortgage insurance for the loan.

A Kāinga Whenua loan also puts limits on the type of house you can build, purchase or relocate to the land. It must be a one-storey house of at least 50 sqm, on piles, and with reasonable road access. It must be located on the mainland North or South islands.

Find out more about

• Kāinga Whenua loan for individuals
• Kāinga Whenua loan for Māori land trusts
• Buying or building a new home with a Kāinga Whenua loan [PDF, 1.3 MB]
• Kāinga Whenua Agreement [PDF, 773 KB] Note: this document is for reference and is only to be completed by Kāinga Ora – Home and Communities once we have received the final loan documents from Kiwibank. It will then be sent to your Solicitors to obtain the signatures of all parties involved.
• additional support at Māori Housing Network(external link)