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Manawatu Taranaki Wairarapa
- Ellen enjoys sitting outside her new home.
My home, my castle
By Kevin Black
Ellen of Palmerston North is all smiles since being relocated as part of the Highbury Neighbourhood Improvement Programme.
The Highbury Neighbourhood Improvement Programme saw the state housing concentration reduced. Some existing homes were modernised, and single-storey refurbished homes were brought into Highbury, so we could better meet the needs of our tenants and applicants.
Ellen has lived in a two-storey home for a number of years, so the move to a single-storey home was one she greeted with enthusiasm.
Ellen couldn't wait to tell us what she thinks of her new home.
"It's beautiful, the whole house is exactly how I dreamed it would be," says Ellen with a grin on her face and an excited bounce in her voice.
"I have a patio which I just love to spend time on and the other really neat thing is having a heat pump which keeps the house so warm and cosy, it's lovely," says Ellen. "With my disability this home has given me one less hurdle to manage - no stairs, it's great!"
Ellen also says Housing New Zealand helped ensure the transition into her new home was an enjoyable experience.
- Malcolm knows his new home is well constructed - he helped build it.
Building for the future
By Deana Stewart
Napier tenants, Roberta and Malcolm and their 10-year-old son moved into their brand new Habitat for Humanity home in December last year.
Habitat for Humanity is an international Christian not-for-profit organisation which arranges for businesses and volunteers to work together to provide housing for those in need.
"My tenancy manager Ngaire told us about Habitat for Humanity," says Roberta. "She said a house is going to be built in Maraenui, and why don't we apply for it."
Housing New Zealand staff from Hastings and Napier spent two days helping to build the house. Other community groups and organisations pitched in, too.
The family does not get ownership immediately. They can rent the house from Habitat for up to four years, prove themselves reliable tenants, and then use the rent they have paid as a deposit on a loan to buy the house at its original price.
Roberta and Malcolm quickly picked up new building skills on the project. Roberta grinned when she said, "I had never used a power tool before in my life, but can now say that I'm pretty handy with about five different tools. It's been a great learning experience."
