Habitat for Humanity New Zealand is celebrating 30 years of building homes, communities and hope in Aotearoa and the Pacific, however it also recognises there is still a lot more that needs to be done to achieve its vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Since 1993, Habitat’s New Zealand operations have supported thousands of families to thrive through housing.

“The families and individuals we work with are at the centre of everything we do and our ultimate aim is to support them to thrive in life through housing. The outcomes and impact we have achieved over the past three decades is incredible. A warm, dry, safe home is a fundamental enabler to a person’s strength, stability and self-reliance. It’s at the core of a thriving community,” says Alan Thorp, Group Chief Executive Officer, Habitat for Humanity New Zealand.

“However, we can’t do this without the collaboration and support of our staff, volunteers, funders, central and local government our corporate partners and our supporters who donate to us in many ways. We bring people together to be part of our community, so they can be the heart of change in theirs.

“What’s more, it’s clear we’ll be here for at least three more decades too – there is so much more work to do. New Zealand families and the Tongan, Samoan and Fijian communities we work in, still need our support to access affordable, adequate homes.”

Over the past three decades, Habitat’s work in New Zealand has resulted in more than 550 families moving into home ownership through a rent-to-buy model, supported more than 3700 families in housing need improve the place they call home and assisted many more through various education programmes such as financial literacy or becoming ready-to-rent.

In the Pacific, Habitat for Humanity New Zealand has primarily focused on community-led development programmes and responding to disasters as required. Via its five year strategic partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) to the value of $9.2M, it works with communities in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga to identify and prioritise what their local safe shelter needs are, along with skills to make buildings safer and stronger, deliver water and sanitation programmes and financial literacy education. Over the past three decades it has assisted almost 1000 families in the Pacific have a more habitable home through major repair work and initiatives which help make a home safer, such as cyclone strapping. It has also built 600-plus dwellings.

Next year, Habitat will be reinvigorating its Global Village programme which sees volunteers working abroad on a housing project to directly improve a local family’s access to a decent place to live. Hundreds of volunteers from New Zealand have supported the Global Village programme and made a positive impact on housing in 20 countries, including Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, Fiji, Samoa, India and Mongolia. The programme was paused in 2020 due to the impact of Covid-19 and global travel.

ENDS

About Habitat for Humanity New Zealand

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity has been working in New Zealand since 1993. The community housing provider delivers a range of programmes in New Zealand from home ownership through to major repairs and smaller initiatives which supports people to build or improve a place they call home. Habitat also works extensively in the Pacific, helping families in Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji to access safe and affordable homes, including after disasters. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability, and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. Habitat in New Zealand is part of the global Habitat for Humanity network which operates in more than 70 countries around the globe. To learn more, visit www.habitat.org.nz

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