Te Runanga o Moeraki wants to establish a pathway to home ownership for Ngai Tahu whanau.
The runanga’s company, Moeraki Ltd, is in the preliminary stages of developing affordable housing in the coastal village.
The plan is to build three homes for Ngai Tahu families to buy and live in.
Chairman Trevor McGlinchey said Moeraki was becoming an increasingly expensive place to live, and putting down a full deposit for a house was difficult for many people.
Te Runanga o Moeraki wanted to assist Ngai Tahu families to home ownership, Mr McGlinchey said.
Ownership would be established through a shared equity scheme, previously trialled by Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu in other areas of the country.
Moeraki Ltd would pay for 30% of the home and the families would pay the remaining 70%.
"Over time, the intention would be for them to own their home," he said.
The company was now in its researching phase of the development, determining what housing needs there were in Moeraki, Mr McGlinchey said.
As part of this research, Te Runanga o Moeraki was asking for expressions of interest from families, and was conducting a survey to find out the level of interest in the scheme, the size of homes families were interested in, their employment needs and why they would like to return to Moeraki.
The next stage of its research was to hold a korero (conversation) with interested people to understand what they would need to move home to Moeraki, Mr McGlinchey said.
There had already been several people express an interest in the project, most of whom were living outside Moeraki at present.
If the project went ahead, the houses would be built on a section across the road from the Moeraki marae, which Moeraki Ltd owns. Priority would be given to those wanting to live permanently in Moeraki and participate in life on the marae.
