The official opening of six kaumātua units in Awarua, near Bluff, has signalled the first step towards building an intergenerational housing community.
It's all part of a vision the Ngāi Tahu iwi began working towards more than two decades ago.
But it's only just coming to fruition now due to the many challenges of building on Māori land.
Ngāi Tahu's Te Rau Aroha is the world's most-southern marae, and on Tuesday the emphasis was on aroha for their kaumatua.
Led by the local rūnanga, Te Rūnaka o Awarua, the aim is to establish an intergenerational housing community around the marae.
"It's been an aspiration of the rūnanga for decades and decades," said Dean Whaanga, kaiwhakahaere of Te Rūnanga o Awarua.
With an early childhood centre already on-site, six lucky kaumātua will be able to move in and have aged care services available to them. It's an initiative that's been given the nod by New Zealander of the Year Tā Tipene O'Regan.
"Someone to keep an eye on, someone to knock on the door on a regular basis and to say, 'Have you taken your pills'," he said.
The project has had various funding with iwi and the Government working in partnership.
"What we see here is money from the COVID and recovery response fund," said Housing Minister Megan Woods.
"It's not only created jobs but that $1.9 million investment has resulted in the fact that we have six permanent warm, safe, dry, housing."
With a population of around 2000, Māori make up almost half of the population of Awarua.
The area is dealing with a housing shortage and the iwi is hoping they can help by building more units.
"One would think that there is significant housing in Bluff, but no, I think we are trending just like the rest of the country and housing is really hard to get and it is really hard for our young ones seeking their first home," Whaanga said.
But at least a few of the old ones are being taken care of now.
