Mum’s only wish is a home to live in
One Auckland mother simply wants a house for her family.
Her family of seven — who the
agreed not to name — have spent five months living in emergency housing in a Helensville motel after having to vacate their Henderson rental property last year.
With children aged 1 to 15, the only motel with room for her family was more than 40 minutes away from her children’s schools and family support network in West Auckland.
Her partner was a casual truck driver when they lost their home. He is no longer employed because he lives so far from his workplace. Securing new work has been tough, given the family could be forced to move again at any moment, and the couple are now both on benefits.
The mother said she was willing to move anywhere in Auckland, the Waikato or Gisborne to secure a home. “I don’t want to [move my children out of their schools] because they are really settled where they are. But if I have to do that to get them a house, I will do that.”
The family’s troubles started more than a year ago when the owner of their Henderson rental decided to sell.
The family moved in with relatives, where it was overcrowded and stressful, before applying for emergency housing.
Long trips to school each day meant money that could be spent on food instead went on petrol. The children dropped out of their sporting clubs as the family’s income had become increasingly tight.
The family also had to attend constant rental home viewings, including some as far away as Hamilton.
The Social Development Ministry said it would back them to secure homes with weekly rents as high $650, but the mother felt landlords weren’t interested in taking in families on benefits: “Years ago it was easy to get a home, but now it is so hard.”