A Maori housing advocacy group is planning to set up its own housing provider in Auckland.
Te Matapihi said Maori families were more often affected by overcrowding and health problems related to poor rental properties.
The group is part-way through establishing a forum to help support current Maori housing providers in the city, but said it also aimed to set up its own.
It has met with key agencies including Housing New Zealand, the Government, Te Puni Kokiri and the Maori land court.
Te Matapihi chair Rau Hoskins said the forum aimed to strengthen the small number of Maori housing providers, and the larger number of general housing providers who work with Maori communities.
He said the forum should be fully operational in the next three-to-six months, and then they aimed to set up their own housing provider.
