A healthy home – for mental and physical wellbeing

Christine’s Horotiu home is noticeably warmer thanks to the support of Habitat for Humanity Central Region, in partnership with the AWHI Healthy Homes Initiative.

Having a warm and healthy home is very important to Christine, who is raising her great grandson – a baby with chronic lung disease.

“We’ve been told we’ll have periods of hospital stays with him, so the warmer and healthier the house is, the better it is for him.”

When he came to live with her, Christine was referred to AWHI Healthy Homes – a free service within the National Hauora Coalition who support whānau to create warm, dry, and healthy homes. They connected Habitat with Christine to carry out an assessment at her home.

“The assessor really covered all the bases,” Christine says.

“He was very informative about what was available – stuff we didn’t even know about.”

AWHI Project Coordinator Pounamu Crawford-Taukiri says, “We value the collaboration that we have between AWHI and Habitat for Humanity and the positive impact it has on our whānau that are coming through our program.

“Their thorough home assessments not only help whānau understand what’s happening in their homes, but they also provide practical advice and sustainable solutions.”

Following the assessment, Habitat installed new thermal curtains, curtain rails, and window security latches, and replaced a cracked bedroom window and broken back door.

“I’m amazed how much warmer the house is just by closing the curtains,” Christine says.

Well-fitted curtains act as a form of insulation, helping to keep warm air inside a home. By closing the curtains in the evening and opening them up in the mornings, Christine can trap some of the heat from the sun inside and reduce heat loss through the windows.

She has also noticed less draughts following the window and door repairs, as there are less opportunities for cold air to force its way inside.

“It’s awesome to feel warm and cosy. It’s amazing how it all happened, and so quickly.

“It’s not only about our physical wellbeing but our mental wellbeing as well – knowing we’re giving the baby a safe, warm environment. Perhaps we’ll have less visits to the hospital.”