Helping wha¯nau in prefab process
A new business aims to help address poverty and homelessness in Northland by walking whānau through the process of getting a prefabricated house.
Twenty-year-old Matenga Ashby heads the Kaikohe-based business, PreHomes, which gives whānau a hand-up to get their own liveable prefab house – from sorting issues on communally owned whenua to getting building consent.
Ashby said the aim is to address the problems of homelessness and poverty that he saw in his home town, which often led to sickness.
‘‘We want to start early, preventing sicknesses before they even start with healthy, affordable homes. When children are unhealthy, or have no healthy rest, they struggle to engage in education.’’
PreHomes works with a number of prefab companies, then helps families with things the companies don’t provide, such as foundations, water, power (including options for solar power) and sewage.
It also helps families live more sustainably with vegetable gardens, fruit trees and chickens, Ashby said.
In the case of papakāinga on communal Māori land, the company helps facilitate a process with the hapū so all are happy with the outcome.
Ashby and a team of local professionals have also worked with Far North District Council to simplify the building consent process for prefab homes.
Whānau can rent-to-own their new home through PreHomes, he said.
This week, PreHomes was named one of two winners of a business ideas competition, The Pick, run by economic development agency Northland Inc. The Pick helps upcoming businesses with a 10-week support programme, where business experts help hone ideas into a business model.
The event culminated with a Dragon’s Den-style pitch night for five finalists, held in Whangārei on Wednesday.
Ashby said The Pick helped him set financial forecasts for PreHomes, setting him up to take the business further for mentoring and financial backing.
He said he was grateful for all the support he had received so far, including from Kaikohe design group Ākau, Dreamtime Cabins, Te Rūnanga a Iwi o Ngāpuhi and Sanson and Associates.
Ashby’s experience includes working with Ākau, which specialises in collaborative design and architecture, while also inspiring Kaikohe youth through design – with the group’s work seen in colourful murals around the town.
The second business to win at The Pick was Rongoā Wai Māori, which creates a healthy energy drink using principles of traditional Māori healing, rongoā .
Headed by Northlander Emily Kingi-Hepi, Rongoā Wai Māori aims to knock sugary energy drinks out of the shopping trolley, with a great-tasting electrolyte drink that boosts health outcomes and reduces waste.
The Pick is usually held annually but has been on a hiatus for the past two years due to Covid-19.