Pukekohe home gives family the stability and security they were looking for

“My name is Mark. I’m a single father of two boys who are with me part time. We moved into our Habitat home in Pukekohe just over a year ago now. It’s crazy to think just how fast it’s gone; it doesn’t feel like we’ve been here for a year.

Prior to moving in here, we had been renting for years with little security and stability for my boys. We seemed to be moving every year to 18 months. Trying to create some sort of routine for my boys when we were moving all the time was really hard. They were just places to sleep.

So now it’s really great to have a place to call home. It’s just nice and comfortable, and the neighbourhood’s good. In our little block there are three other Habitat homes, we all get on well and look out for each other.

The biggest change for us is having the financial security of a home. The house is at a reasonable price, something that I can afford and still be able to save on top of that, which is allowing us to get a bit further ahead and faster than I thought would be possible. My plan, if all goes well, is to try and buy the house outright within two years and use it as equity for our futures.

I would encourage others to go for these opportunities if they can, I didn’t think I would be eligible and, in my mind, I’d already disqualified myself. I had to remind myself I was just as deserving as everyone else.

Being in partnership with Habitat, one thing that sticks in my mind is that you’re not helping us, you’re giving us a hand up. You’re presenting us an incredible opportunity, but it’s still up to us to put in the hard work and do what we need to achieve our dream of home ownership. So important!”