Local Success Stories

Housing availability in New Zealand is currently at it’s lowest level in 65 years. Like so many Kiwi families, Tammy Ngawhika Hutchins saw home ownership as a pipe dream. After hearing a friends story about their new home with Habitat, Tammy attended an information evening and decided to apply for Habitat’s Progressive Home Ownership Programme.

“I received the call to say that I qualified for a house and I actually dropped to my knees.”

With the help of family, friends and over 100 volunteers, Tammy’s family home was built in Rotorua in November 2012 as part of a six day blitz build. The home was dedicated to Tammy and her family in 2013.

“A home to me is about identity, and a place to make memories. When I was young and worrying about a pair of shoes, and worrying about meals at the table – now the kids don’t need to worry about things like that. I have something to leave for my children. I couldn’t say that before. This is home and no one is ever going to buy this, and the children know it’s never going to be sold because they all have their hands to this and they’ve built it.”

    What is Progressive Home Ownership and how does it work? Habitat’s Progressive Home Ownership is a partnership-based programme that assists families moving towards independent home ownership. Families occupy a new home built by a KiwiBuy provider, and pay the equivalent of fair market rent determined by their total gross household income. This programme allows households to enter into an affordable rental programme with secure tenure for at least five years, until they can afford the price of their mortgage. With increased focus on social housing, better rental housing and increased pathways to home ownership, like Habitat’s Progressive Home Ownership scheme, more Kiwi families like Tammy’s will be able to own their own homes. Learn more here. 

In New Zealand, we partner with family’s through our Assisted Home Ownership programme, providing a pathway to home ownership for the many families otherwise locked out of the market. One of those family’s was Sanjida’s. Based in South Auckland, Sanjida and her three children were living in a rental home but had to move out when the landlord sold the property. Sanjida applied for a state home, but somehow fell off the register.

“The children and I found ourselves homeless. We applied for private rentals, but even though I had good credit and good payment history we couldn’t break back into the market.”

Her family had no option but to move into a friend’s home, the four of them all sharing one bedroom.

“Although I was so grateful, the room was cold and had a broken window. I was losing my independence. I felt lost. It’s never a nice feeling to have to rely on someone else. I felt like I wasn’t providing the basic necessities of a safe home and shelter for my children.”

Sanjida heard about Habitat for Humanity through one of her friends and got in touch. “I was amazed when I got accepted. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would own a home. Now It’s what I strive for.” After moving into her home in 2015, Sanjida is over half-way through her home ownership journey with Habitat. Sanjida’s story has much in common with many of Habitat’s partner families. Families who just need a hand up into their own home, and who want to provide the security and stability that a place to call home can bring for generations.

Rebekah Smith, who is in a wheelchair, was given notice on her rental and struggled to find any accessible houses to buy or rent in Nelson. She needed to raise at least $160,000 to reach the threshold needed to receive a loan to buy her existing rental, but was unable to reach the amount she needed. Habitat for Humanity Nelson was thrilled to be able to partner with Rebekah as a tenant of their Social Rental Programme, to ensure that she can stay in a decent, secure home that is suitable to her needs, purchasing the home specially for Rebekah to live in. “They bought it exclusively for me, so it was just a big sigh of relief that it was all over. I could hardly sleep that night, it was just like; ‘wow, incredible’,” explains Rebekah. “When we read Rebekah’s story, the challenge that really resonated was trying to find a rental in Nelson at the moment is extremely difficult. Trying to find one when you’ve got mobility issues and need to get around a property in a wheelchair is a massive issue,” says Habitat for Humanity Nelson’s General Manager Nick Clarke. Habitat provided the necessary modifications Smith needed to make the home more liveable, such as installing wooden floors to make it easier for her to move around, and converting a window in her bedroom into a fire exit. While Habitat traditionally helps people into housing through our Assisted Home Ownership Programme, where people contribute to the building of homes they then rent-to-own, Smith’s situation didn’t quite first this criteria. Instead, Smiths story represented a growing need for secure housing for those unable to work in a traditional sense, but still in need of a long-term home. While Habitat owns the home, we rent the house to Smith, giving her security of tenure, allowing her to stay there as long as she needs. In December 2019, Habitat for Humanity Nelson held a housing dedication for Rebekah. It was an evening of joy and celebration, officially welcoming Rebekah into her home.            

“The roof leaked. The paint on the walls was coming away. The house was extremely cold. The bathroom was covered in mould and the floor was beginning to rot. And we had rats. I was upset for myself. I was upset for my children. I was also quite despairing about the fact that there was nothing I could do about it. I got very good at strategically putting furniture in place so you couldn’t see the damage, but it wasn’t enough. I was inviting people over less and less, to the point where I stopped all together. I’m a sociable person so that was very isolating. To bring myself to say “I need some help, can you help me?” was the hardest thing to do. I’d never shown anybody the extent of the conditions I was living in. When Bridget from Habitat visited and asked “what do you need?” I almost didn’t know where to begin. I expected to be rebuffed, but everything I showed her she said, “I can see that.” She filled me with hope, and she didn’t for one second make me feel like it was my fault. It was a relief to know that someone was on my side. When the work started, initially I felt displaced. It was like having a swarm of bees all around my home. Seeing all these people I didn’t know pull my house apart made me feel like I was being deconstructed. It’s like losing a part of yourself; even though you know it wasn’t good, it’s still you. But there was trust. Habitat and Buildtech gave me such support and were so caring that I felt safe in their hands. The funny thing is that once I opened up about the help I needed, others began to offer support too. Some people didn’t even know me, but they swarmed my house because they were part of the bigger picture. You call It ‘A Brush with Kindness’ and that really is what it is. The overwhelming feeling is kindness. That was the beauty of it all. I love my house now. It’s so beautiful. I love having family and friends over. I feel like a burden has been lifted. I feel a lot freer to be myself and I have so much more energy – I want to make it even more beautiful. I also want to pass on the generosity to help others in any way I can. I feel so grateful to Habitat and Home (formerly Buildtech) and everyone else who gave me this incredible gift. I think people should never feel they are undeserving. Everybody needs a helping hand some time or another. People shouldn’t be afraid to voice what they need. Don’t hide it. Don’t stay where you are. When you are brave enough to admit you need help, you’ll be amazed at the kindness that follows.”  

We are so grateful to Yvonne for sharing her story. Unfortunately, there are many more families in Christchurch whose houses are in very poor condition, putting the health and security of the parents and children at risk. If you are in a position to help, please donate today.