From couch surfing to a place to call home

Couch surfing might sound fun when you’re travelling on a budget, but it’s a very different story when it’s the only way to have a bed for years.

“I still have my first two-man pup tent,” James says. “I’ve spent so much time in that little tent it’s sentimental now. I’ve bounced between camping at the beach and crashing at my sister’s, cousin’s, or friends’ places. Honestly, I’ve been couch surfing most of my life and my kids’ lives too.”

Six years ago, while homeless, James was diagnosed with a non-malignant brain tumour.“I can black out anytime, so I can’t drive. Finding work where I’m not a health and safety risk is tough,” he explains.

Then James’ 15-year-old son wanted to live with him. Thankfully a friend offered his backyard for James’ tent and a spare room for his son.

“Boys need their dad,” James says. “We were grateful, but it wasn’t ideal. That was the push I needed to reconnect with the system and find a stable home.”

From there, James and his son spent a couple of months in emergency motel accommodation before moving into transitional housing.

“That was good, but it never felt like my own place, you only have temporary tenancy agreements.”

Finally home

James and his son have now moved into one of our newly built homes in Gisborne.

“Having our own place is incredible. After so many years, we finally have space and we know where we’ll sleep each night. Since my dad died when I was 16, I’ve never had my own space, a place I can call home. There are more responsibilities now, but I love it. It’s freeing to have that stability.”

“Now I can focus on the future. I’m taking steps to get back to work and, long term, own my own home. I owe it to myself and my kids. It’s challenging though. I’ve always worked outdoors, but now I need a light-duties job.”

His journey shows how a warm, safe Kāinga Ora home can be life-changing, bringing stability, reconnecting whānau, and opening the door to a brighter future.

Building more homes where they’re needed most

Kāinga Ora has an active build programme in Gisborne that has delivered 70 modern, warm, dry public homes in the last six months. These include larger developments in Macdonald Road, Roebuck Road, Steel Road, and 15 homes recently completed in Gladstone Road. Another four homes will be blessed this week, ready for tenants to move in—just in time for Christmas.

East North Island Regional Director Graeme Broderick says we are continuing to build new homes in Gisborne. “The average age of a Kāinga Ora home in Gisborne is 45 years old, and many are much older than that.”

“Older homes are very costly to maintain. By replacing older, unsuitable homes with modern, new ones, we can maintain them more easily and efficiently,” says Graeme.

“This enables us to reinvest in warm and dry homes that are the right size and in the right locations for our tenants.”

Another 50 homes are expected to be delivered in Gisborne in the next year, including 26 currently under construction. Many of these new homes replace ageing properties on the same land, ensuring tenants have modern, healthy homes that meet their needs. 
Every home we build is more than a house—it’s a chance for whanau like James’s to start fresh and thrive.