Tony and Lou George had given up hope they would ever be able to buy their own home, but last week they were given the key for one of Richmond’s first Habitat for Humanity homes.
Four families moved into four of the five new homes built on Queen St, which are the very first to ever be built in Richmond as part of Habitat Nelson’s Progressive Home Ownership (PHO) programme. The fifth home has yet to have a family selected.
For Tony, Lou and their 12-year-old son Theo, the key to a home they will eventually purchase is “life changing”.
“The biggest thing is security,” Lou says. “When you’re stuck in that rental trap, you don’t know how long you will be there – our rental was going on the market.”
The couple and other families in the new homes will pay affordable rent for up to 10 years before they transition into buying their homes.
The rent they pay over the years, less expenses such as rates and insurance, goes toward a deposit and Lou says their savings during that time and Kiwisaver will be added to it so they can then obtain a mortgage from a bank to buy it from Habitat Nelson at a price that is fixed now.
“We’ve been working really hard for years towards purchasing a home and had pretty much given up. Because of the way things are, the goal posts are moving constantly. Whereas this puts a target in place where the goal posts don’t change.”
The four families moved into their new homes during the Easter weekend, but Lou says they are already a community after spending weekends painting and landscaping their homes since September.
She says a team of about 15 friends and family helped paint the interior of their new home and some of Theo’s friends painted the skirting board up the stairs. It meant it already felt like home before they were officially given a key, she says.
“Because we have been a part of it, we feel more bonded to the house; it has a good vibe to it.
“There’s pride – somewhere you are proud to call home and it is everything you could dream of. We’re so lucky. It’s hard to put into words.”
Habitat Nelson has now built 43 homes across Nelson and Tasman with a further 10 planned before the end of 2024, though no more are planned for Richmond yet.
Habitat’s PHO programme accesses funding from a $400 million investment managed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD The PHO) - Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga. Habitat Nelson’s other funding partners are the Rata Foundation and OneFortyOne, while local tradies and businesses discount or donate materials and time to build the homes.
Habitat Nelson then works with families on financial education by bringing in financial experts to share advice on mortgages, financial planning, budgeting and how to make the most of KiwiSaver.
