New homes bring a fresh start for Gisborne whānau

Heather had been living in a caravan at her son’s home for six years. While it worked for her at the time, things changed when one of her mokopuna came to live with her long term. “That’s what made me change everything,” she says. “Having my moko living with me was my reason for applying for housing.”

Heather, who has 16 mokopuna and three great mokopuna, says her whānau are at the centre of everything she does. “Even in my little caravan, they would come and stay. Sometimes I had three of them sleeping on my bed.”

After a short stay in transitional housing, Heather received the call to view one of the new Kāinga Ora homes. “After seeing it for the first time, I went back and had a cry. It was just so overwhelming walking through the door.”

She shared the moment with her moko, who was eager to move in straight away. “He said, ‘Nan, is it a nice one?’ I said, ‘Yes, and it’s bigger.’ He started picking up his toys and said, ‘Come on Nan, let’s go now.’”

Now preparing to move in, Heather is looking forward to the simple things many people take for granted. “The caravan was cold in winter, with water running down the windows. Now I can cook properly and eat at a table, instead of sitting on the bed,” she says. “I can imagine my moko in here playing with all his toys. I’m really looking forward to making a home here for me and my moko.”

“These homes will give our tenants places to live that suit their needs now and, in the future,” says Kāinga Ora Regional Director for East North Island, Graeme Broderick. “A stable home supports better wellbeing and creates a strong foundation for the future.”

The development includes six two-bedroom and two three-bedroom homes, all within walking distance of schools, supermarkets and health services. Built in just ten months by TW Group using mostly local labour and subcontractors.

Across Gisborne, Kāinga Ora continues to invest in new housing, with more developments underway in Kaiti, Elgin and Mangapapa. Over the next three months, 21 new homes will be completed, replacing older houses that have reached the end of their usable life.