Kāinga Ora Annual Report 2026 highlights stable housing for Māori whānau

A newly released annual report from Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities has highlighted the agency's role in providing long-term residential stability for Māori across Aotearoa. According to the Te Pūrongo Ā-Tau (Annual Report) for the 2025/26 financial year, 36 percent of all Kāinga Ora tenancies are held by Māori, representing a significant portion of the agency’s 78,300 managed homes. The report, which provides data current as of 30 June 2026, shows that the average tenancy length has reached nine years, with 32 percent of all customers remaining in their homes for a decade or more. This stability is supported by a substantial $389 million investment in maintenance operating expenditure over the year ending June 2026. The agency’s housing portfolio, valued at $46.1 billion, continues to support approximately 200,000 occupants, or 3.7 percent of the New Zealand population. Kāinga Ora reported that 91 percent of people housed from the Housing Register were those with the highest needs. The report also notes a strong focus on whānau, with 46 percent of all tenancies including children under the age of 18. Household compositions vary, with one-parent households with children making up 32 percent of the tenant base, and multi-person households with children accounting for 13 percent. Geographically, the housing provider maintains a broad presence, with the largest regional distributions located in Wellington/Kāpiti at 12 percent and Canterbury at 11.3 percent. The report also detailed the quality of the housing stock, noting an average property condition score between 1.7 and 2.5 across 12 operating regions, where a score of 1 represents excellent condition. Additionally, 91 percent of the national assets are not affected by 1-in-100-year flood risks, as the agency continues to assess environmental resilience across its portfolio.