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Mrs R's Story

Every time it rained, she knew she was in for a sleepless night. As the water fell on Mrs R’s damaged roof, she lay awake in fear, waiting for her ceiling to cave in. When morning came, she would begin emptying large buckets of water – sometimes up to four times a day.This was how the Bay of Plenty resident, a war-veteran’s widow, lived for years - under a roof in desperate need of replacement. But with an $18,000 price tag, as a pensioner in her late 60s there was no way she could afford ...

Aroha's Story

Aroha’s health has started to take a turn in the past few years as she has developed cancer, alongside suffering from arthritis and heart problems. As a kuia, Aroha knew she needed to take action to protect herself and ensure her health didn’t limit her life. Around the same time, a friend invited her to a Sustainability Options workshop. This was pivotal in Aroha’s expectation of what she could do in her own home, feeling motivated that she could start implementing change herself. She has...

Evelyn's Story

This is a beautiful depiction of the complexity of a whānau we journey with. It hasn’t been condensed for the ease of your reading, because to condense this piece would mean to be removing a fundamental aspect of Evelyn’s daily experiences and struggles. We want to provide you with the opportunity for a genuine look inside. It will take you around 8 minutes to read....

Beth's Story

Meet Beth. Beth is a homeowner in Rotorua who just wants her place to be warm, dry, and safe for her and her 14-year-old daughter. They live in a certified transportable building, made up of three parts: a 1995 portacom for her lounge, kitchen, and bedroom, an add-on shed for her bathroom, then an add-on partial portacom for her daughter’s room. Initially, Beth’s daughter’s room was not connected to the bathroom meaning she had to go outside to access the rest of the house. Te Waiariki Pur...

Trust Horizon & Bay Trust support 20 degrees activity in the Eastern Bay of Plenty

Trust Horizon has approved a $250,000 grant to facilitate a new programme, designed to empower Eastern Bay whānau to improve their health and wellbeing through energy education and home repairs. The Trust’s support has enabled the project to secure a further $200,000 from MBIE’s Support for Energy Education in Communities fund, and a potential further $50,000 from Bay Trust.  “The nation is collectively realising that we have allowed housing conditions to degrade over a period of dec...

Unsafe home transformed thanks to community good

It's a house on the street unlike any other. One that has undergone the ultimate makeover inside and out. But it's not the kind of home reno you'll see on TV, this one that had a lot more love, and community spirit put into it. Hundreds of volunteer hours and donated resources have transformed the rundown home from completely unlivable, to warm, safe and dry. A kuia and her son lived inside. But like many, her home had gotten away from her. With no hot water, cooking facilities, heating or ins...

Healthy Housing Programme Receives $1.5M Through Collaborative Funding Partnership

Local funders and agencies have come together to tackle one of our region’s biggest problems; that our poor housing stock is having a serious impact on our health. The programme, called 20 Degrees, aims to work with over 500 homes in the Bay over the next three years, with a vision for each home to reach 20°C, as recommended by the World Health Organisation for individuals who are vulnerable, unwell or prone to respiratory illnesses. It’s a huge task to take on, but one that can make a tran...