From the left: Segun Braimoh, Bukola Bamidele with her three-year-old son Nathan, Imoleoluwa, 7, mother Olawande Braimoh, Ethan, 5, and his father Victor Bamidele on the right. Photo / Rafaella Melo
From the left: Segun Braimoh, Bukola Bamidele with her three-year-old son Nathan, Imoleoluwa, 7, mother Olawande Braimoh, Ethan, 5, and his father Victor Bamidele on the right. Photo / Rafaella Melo
Two families new to Hawke’s Bay who met at a flat viewing decided not to compete to find a rental property and instead move in together.
The Braimoh and Bamidele families, both Nigerian, say they were up against dozens of other hopeful renters at every house viewing.
So to up the odds of them finding a house, they chose a solution that is becoming increasingly common in Hawke’s Bay since Cyclone Gabrielle - sharing a roof with another family.
Statistics NZ says the proportion of households with two or more families or other multi-person arrangements has increased significantly over the past decade in Hawke’s Bay, growing from 14.8% in 2013 to 17.2% in 2023.
It’s thought Cyclone Gabrielle, which rendered hundreds of homes in the region unliveable, is partially behind the trend, but there are other factors at play too.
Segun Braimoh, his wife Olawande, and their seven-year-old son moved to Hawke’s Bay from Nigeria in July 2023, but say they faced “rejection after rejection” when applying for rental properties.
Segun said the properties they were viewing within their budget either didn’t want a child staying in the house, or denied their family’s applications with no explanation.
Initially, they managed to stay in temporary places, sharing houses with flatmates.
Victor came to Hawke’s Bay alone and lived in a single room in a house with two other adults and their two daughters.
When his wife Bukola and their two kids arrived, the family of four had to share the room for three months, with eight people in the overcrowded house, Victor said.
Segun Braimoh said they noticed the smaller homes they were pursuing were too competitive.
“So, we agreed to look for a larger property and ask the owner if they would let us stay together and share the bills.
“We never imagined we’d be sharing a house with another family,” he said.
They found a four-bedroom house in Taradale and after talking to the owner about their situation, their application was approved in January.
The families share communal spaces, including bathrooms, but have avoided major conflicts.
“Our kids are all boys about the same age and go to the same school, which helps a lot,” Segun said.
While this arrangement has brought stability, this is the first time they’ve had to make such a move.
“It’s not the ideal,” said Olawande. “It’s still inconvenient.”
“We’re grateful to have a place at all, so we just have to live with it,” Segun said.
According to local property websites, the rent for a three-bedroom house in Hawke’s Bay now ranges from $400 to as much as $1000 per week.
Vanessa Williams, spokesperson for realestate.co.nz, said availability remains tight but has started to see a slight increase.
“This time last year, there were 44 homes available for rent. Now, there are 55,” Williams said.
The increase came only after May 2024, when changes in the short-term rental market prompted many owners to switch from Airbnbs to long-term rentals, she said.
Statistics NZ released data in early November highlighting a worsening housing situation in New Zealand.
More than 100,000 households are now experiencing crowded living conditions, with Hawke’s Bay having the third highest crowding rate in the country (7.3% in 2023, compared to 5.4% in 2018), below Gisborne (10.7%) and Auckland (8.8%).
While the Braimoh and Bamidele families’ experience isn’t technically “crowded”, they say it highlights the challenges of finding affordable houses in Hawke’s Bay.
Their temporary solution to a systematic problem is, for now, keeping a roof over their heads.
