Whānau Stories
Real whānau, real impact. Hear directly from the families and communities supported through our initiatives.
Whānau from Bay of Plenty
A Bay of Plenty whānau of 5 were supported by one of our Community Partners, Sustainable Options, to improve the health of their home. The family's home, built in 1912, had insulation, a wood burner, even a heat pump, but no curtains and single-glazed windows meant it stayed freezing cold. The cold got so bad, one of the children ended up in hospital with a respiratory illness. Their home was not only expensive and difficult to warm but was also impacting their wellbeing.
In March 2025, Sustainability Options visited the whānau and got straight to work. With the goal of supporting the home to reach a healthy 20 degrees. The team worked with the whānau to provide education on power savings and heat management. The family received curtains, window latches were fixed, and draught-proofing and glazing repairs were completed to enable the home to retain warmth.
The journey with this whanau isn’t finished yet, but the results are already showing. The mother reached out with the following “the curtains have made the house so much warmer, thank you again".
Whānau from Ōtautahi
This whānau of 5, including 3 children, were supported by Tamaiti Healthy Homes. The whānau lived in Ōtautahi and struggled to maintain a warm healthy home due to a cold, drafty living environment and being reliant on small heaters as their only form of warmth. This environment caused constant illness and expensive power bills, leading to a severe amount of stress for the whānau.
Through this service the whānau were supported with a Healthy Homes Assessment, installation of a new heatpump and additional insultation - funded by Warmer Kiwi Homes. Through our partnership the whānau were also able to receive warm bedding and energy-efficient heaters alongside heat-retention education.
The whānau saw their monthly power bill drop by more than half, turning the home into a healthier space while significantly reducing colds and illness across the family.
“We love dealing with Tamaiti Healthy Homes staff. Their support reduced our power bill from $1159 to $578. The installation of the heat pump and additional resources during winter made a huge difference.”
Whānau from Bay of Plenty
A Bay of Plenty whānau of 5 were supported by Sustainability Options to improve the health of their home. The families recently built 3-bedroom home had full insulation, double glazing, and even a heat pump, but having no curtains and improper heating in the bedrooms meant keeping those rooms warm was impossible. Their old living conditions had been cold, damp, and mouldy, which was likely why one of their children suffers from asthma. Despite the home being new, the lack of bedroom heating was impacting their wellbeing.
Sustainability Option’s team visited the family in March 2025, they wasted no time and started the long process of ensuring this home would remain mould free and stayed a warm healthy environment. Keeping the children’s bedroom warm became top priority, the team provided portable heaters for bedrooms and curtains and tracks for whole of house. SafeKids also provided the whānau items like a safety gate, multipurpose straps and a smoke alarm on the visit.
The whānau expressed their gratitude for the support they received, which has had a great impact to reducing the stress for the family.
Whānau from Bay of Plenty
Sustainability Options stepped in to support a Bay of Plenty whānau of five struggling to keep their home warm and healthy. The family’s concrete clad rental, built in the 1950s, had single-glazed windows and thin, short curtains meant keeping the home warm was difficult. This likely contributed to their referred tamaiti being hospitalised for respiratory illness. Despite the whare being well-kept, the inability to retain heat was impacting their wellbeing.
Sustainability Options visited the whānau in March 2025, providing education on how to manage moisture and items to help reduce heat loss. The whānau received curtains, a Scoopy (Condensation Squeegee) Hygrometer to monitor temperature and humidity in Tamariki bedrooms and portable heaters.
After receiving the support from Sustainability Options, the whānau shared positive feedback, expressing how excited their daughter was about the new curtains. being thrilled with her pink curtains, and mentioned that beyond warmth, the curtains provided much-needed darkness and privacy.
Whānau from Bay of Plenty
Sustainability Options supported a whānau of six with 4 Tamariki after they moved from Kiribati into a three-bedroom rental. High power bills piled up despite little use of the heat pump, which the family simply did not know how to operate properly. The home was cold, but heavy stress weighed on them even more due to damaged back door and a broken window glazing. The door glass had been shattered in a panic when one of the Tamariki was accidentally locked outside and banged to be let in. Scared of how the property manager might react, the whānau suffered in silence and kept the issues to themselves.
When Sustainability Options visited the home for an assessment. The team immediately identified the urgent mahi the house required from the homeowner and formed an action list to support the family. Stepping in as a bridge, the assessors spoke directly to the property manager to address the necessary repairs. To bring fast relief, repairs for the window glazing and door were funded through The Whānau Fund, sealing up the drafts. The team also provided essential education on power savings and heat pump use to help bring their electricity costs down.
While the assessor is still working closely with the property manager on the remaining work that needs doing, the help received from Sustainability Options and The Whānau Fund has already brought profound comfort and relief to the whānau.
Whānau from Bay of Plenty
Sustainability Options supported this whānau of five to improve the health and safety of their home. The age of the whare is unknown, as it was likely originally built as a bach with rooms added on over time, leaving the home structurally overcrowded for the number of whānau staying there. Not only has one of the Tamariki been identified as vulnerable, but the mother also suffers from a chronic illness, making their living situation particularly difficult.
In January 2025, the team from Sustainability Options and their assessor visited the whare and got straight to work. The assessor identified that critical roof repairs were the main priority, while heating, insulation, glazing repairs, and damaged window latches were also contributing to the whanau's stress and needed immediate action. During the initial visit, Safekids stepped in to provide crucial safety items, including a safety gate, multipurpose straps, and socket guards. By April, Sustainability Options successfully completed the critical roof repairs, while the necessary insulation, heating, and window repairs remain actively in progress.
This is only the beginning of the journey together for Sustainability Options and the whānau. The team will remain in contact to support them through these hard times while the referrer reaches out to secure further funding. Feedback from the whānau’s referrer highlighted the deep gratitude the whānau have for the hard mahi Sustainability Options has contributed to their whare