Habitat Central North Island General Manager Nic Greene said there was an opportunity for a family to partner with Habitat and work alongside volunteers to build a home that would “eventually become theirs.”
“Our assisted home ownership programme means families help to build their home, invest 500 hours of their own time in what we call ‘sweat equity’, and then rent that home for a five-year term,” he said.
Providing they met certain expectations during the “rental phase”, Greene said the future homeowners would then be able to purchase the home over another period of up to five years.
“They do this utilising the rent they had paid, less Habitat’s expenses, often utilising Kiwisaver – and at the value it held at the time they first moved in,” he said.
Mr Greene said Habitat’s programme had been proven to help low income families achieve home ownership, which would otherwise be beyond their reach, and in the Central North Island had helped more than 110 families.
“We know that home ownership is a way for families to break a cycle of poverty, and to succeed in so many ways. Things like education, a place to study, and the self-determination and hope that comes with the physical labour and then achieving long-term goals has a massive impact.”
“Habitat believes everyone deserves a decent place to live – and we do that through a lot of ways, including home ownership and home repair. A simple, decent home is one that’s not crowded, is warm and dry, where a family’s not going to get moved on at short notice or be discriminated against.”
Habitat is seeking applications from families who would be suitable for a three-bedroom home soon to be built in Napier.
Interested?
- Download the information brochure and application form
- Call Habitat family services manager Shannon Bowden on 07 849 0284
- Pick up an application pack from the Habitat ReStore, 401 Eastbourne St, Hastings.
Applications close 28 February 2017
