Santana Witika with a picture of her late brother, Chy. She is moving into a brand new home (pictured) with her mum. Photo / Paul Taylor
Santana Witika with a picture of her late brother, Chy. She is moving into a brand new home (pictured) with her mum. Photo / Paul Taylor
"It's like winning Lotto with the Powerball."
Arleen Cassidy and her two daughters will soon move into a brand new home in Hastings, after Kāinga Ora purchased 28 homes for public housing and transitional housing.
Cassidy's eldest son, Chy, died in their current public housing home in Onekawa, Napier three years ago and the family has been seeking a new home since.
"That was very hard being in the house when that happened to my son," Cassidy said.
"Even though it will be sad leaving somewhere you have been living for 20 years, our circumstances are a bit different."
She said she had never lived in a new home and was blown away by the quality of her new three-bedroom house in Hastings, offered to her by Kāinga Ora and partners Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga (TToH).
"This is brand new and everything is lovely, so I'm over the moon, it's like heaven."
A blessing for the 28 new homes on a new cul-de-sac in Mahora, Gilbert Close, was held on Friday.
Community leaders during a blessing of the new homes on Friday. Photo / Paul Taylor
Hawke's Bay Construction Company and TW Property Group built the properties as a mix of two- and three-bedroom homes before Kāinga Ora purchased them off the developer for an undisclosed amount.
Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga will manage 14 of the homes as transitional housing, and will offer wrap-around support to occupants.
Following a lifelong struggle with alcohol and drug addiction - including to self-medicate following the death of her son - Cassidy has now given up drinking and drugs and is thrilled about a fresh start in her new home.
She said a programme for wāhine called E Hine, based at the Te Waireka facility in Otane and run by TToH, had helped her enormously this year.
"My eight months at Te Waireka is the first time in 43 years that I have not had a drop of alcohol or drugs, and I love it."
The course is largely aimed at helping women coming out of prison, but Cassidy joined the course as a member of the community and has benefitted hugely.
She said her goal was to work in mental health and addiction services to help others going through what she has in the past, and she was currently completing an EIT course.