"Timing was terrible," she said. "Forty-two days was not enough time to look for something new."
The family packed up their gear and moved to Miss Uerata's sister's house in Reporoa, but there was not enough room for all of them.
Her aunty's house in Edgecumbe was not an option either after the family had to move out due to flooding.
For a few weeks they were "all over the place", Miss Uerata said.
"One night we were in a car," she said. "We were living out of bags."
Miss Uerata said with a baby on the way, a partner working during the day while she worked night shift, the couple had no time to look for a new rental.
But in mid-May this year, Miss Uerata and her family moved into emergency housing at Te Tuinga Whanau Services Trust.
On June 3, Miss Uerata's waters broke while she was meeting with the Trust about the possibility of owning her own home.
Baby Arlee Awa Tarei was born on June 4 at 11.11am at a healthy 6lb 90z at Tauranga Hospital.
It was the exact time Tauranga-based Bay of Plenty regional councillor Te Awanuiarangi (Awanui) Black passed away on November 30, 2016, Miss Uerata said.
One of the Trust's emergency houses Whare Awa was named after Mr Black, so Miss Uerata said it was fitting that the newborn was named after him and the home too.
"He is pretty special," Miss Uerata said.
"It just all tied together. We were having an interview for something good to come out of a s****y situation we were in and I thought it would be perfect."
Miss Uerata said the children were very happy to be in their own home and she and her partner now had time to look for something more permanent.
"It means everything to me," she said. "We did not know what we were going to do."
"It is a huge weight off our shoulders." Te Tuinga Whanau Support Services Trust's Tommy Wilson said the Trust was working with Miss Uerata so she could one day be able to own her own home.
"This is a success story," he said. "Within 12 months they have come from homelessness to a place they can now call home. Success and good news travel in the community."