21/04/2026
We are thrilled to announce that Ali Hamlin-Paenga will be delivering a keynote at the Penina Trust Housing Conference 2026 in Apia this June.
Ali is the CEO of Te Matapihi He Tirohanga Mo Te Iwi, the national peak body for Maori housing in Aotearoa New Zealand. Her work focuses on strengthening the policy, regulatory, and funding environments that enable Maori-led housing solutions, and she brings that depth of experience to our Pacific stage.
Her keynote, "Our Land, Our People, Our Homes," speaks to housing not simply as infrastructure, but as a foundation of identity, dignity, and collective wellbeing across the Pacific. Drawing connections between whenua and fanua, and the central roles of whanau and aiga, Ali will explore how Maori and Pacific communities have long practised collective housing solutions, often despite systems that were never designed for them.
The keynote calls for renewed collaboration between Maori and Pacific leaders to reclaim and reimagine housing systems that are culturally grounded, community-led, and fit for our people. It also looks at the role of digital innovation, from data sovereignty to smarter planning tools, in strengthening housing outcomes for Samoa and the wider Pacific.
Wednesday 10 June, 1:15–2:15 PM SST | Apia, Samoa
Te Matapihi - National Māori Housing Advocate
From Fale to Future – Reimagining Pacific Housing is a regional conference hosted by Penina Trust, a leading Pasifika housing provider based in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our conference will bring together Pacific and Aotearoa New Zealand leaders, housing providers, policymakers, designers, and communi...
