About Us

Habitat for Humanity (Northland) was founded in January 1995. Our first house was dedicated in December of that year. Since then, we have helped build 36 homes. We currently support 25 families from Waipu in the south, to Kaitaia in the north, to Dargaville in the West and lots of places in between.

Housing Need In Northland

Habitat’s vision to eliminate substandard housing by building simple, decent houses and then selling them on an affordable basis continues to be as relevant in Northland today as when we started here in 1995. It is a region that has high unemployment, a poor economic base, and many families living in poverty. Northland, particularly in its rural areas, is regarded as one of the areas of NZ in the greatest need of improved housing with many substandard houses lacking adequate heating and insulation.

For most families assisted by Habitat their previous housing experience has been little more than a roof over their heads – a combination of paying high rent for substandard accommodation; or living in a shack, sheds or caravans; or sharing a place with other family members in an overcrowded situation.

Northland Housing Forum

Habitat Northland is part of the Northland Housing Forum (NHF) launched in March 2005. The Forum’s aim is to draw together a range of responses to Northland’s housing needs, and to support agencies to work collectively towards long-term affordable housing solutions. more...

Future Plans and Challenges

Along with other affiliates in NZ and elsewhere, the acquisition of affordable land has become a major challenge. One response for us is to plan to build more houses on multiple owned Maori Land, something which brings its own unique challenges and rewards.