Repairs for safety and security

Until her local health team mentioned it, Tauranga homeowner Emma hadn’t heard of Habitat for Humanity’s Home Repair programme.

“There are so many things in the community you don’t know about until you talk to the right people,” she says.

Emma, who works part-time as a cleaner, says her house is perfect for her and her four-year-old son but it needed a few things done to keep it safe and healthy. Things like fixing a rotten weatherboard, repairing a broken section of fence which backs onto a public park, and replacing a temperamental shower mixer that would jump from burning hot to freezing cold at the slightest touch.

“You can tell when we’re having showers ‘cos all of a sudden you just hear screaming from the bathroom.”

Habitat’s Home Repair programme supports homeowners with no-interest loans up to $20,000 for critical repairs and maintenance, with the aim of keeping homes warm, dry, safe and healthy.

The interest-free repayments was one of the main drawcards for Emma, who says her house is going to feel safer and more comfortable now.

“If I wanted to get this stuff done another way, it would’ve been quite a difficult process.”

Emma’s advice to other homeowners is to reach out and find out what they’re eligible for, “because it’s there and even if they don’t believe they’ve got it difficult enough or bad enough, they do deserve it.”

Habitat Central Region’s Operations Manager, Alayne Jensen, says Habitat often encounters homeowners who are apprehensive about their eligibility.

“Better health, security – it all starts with a home. Whether it’s something small like a broken floorboard, or a bigger issue like a leaky roof, we’re all about supporting whānau to access affordable repairs for warmer, drier, safer homes.”

Habitat’s Home Repair programme is supported by BNZ.