Richard Hazeldine-Barber packing to leave his Habitat For Humanity rental. Photo / Kelly Makiha
A Rotorua man with a disability who feared homelessness after being told to leave his Habitat for Humanity rental to make way for a Government housing development has finally found a new home.
It went down to the wire for Richard Hazeldine-Barber, who signed the papers for his new rental on the same day his tenancy was to end.
The solution was found after the Rotorua Daily Post revealed Hazeldine-Barber’s plight last month and his story caught the attention of Rotorua MP Todd McClay and his office staff.
With help from the MP’s team, Hazeldine-Barber was able to get a two-week rent-free extension from Habitat for Humanity to bridge the gap until he can move into his new rental.
McClay’s staff discovered he was paying too much for his monthly bills so have reworked his budget to help him to afford a private rental of a two-bedroom flat in Glenholme. He is set to move to his new home before June 7.
Hazeldine-Barber has lived in his Bellingham Cres home for six years, five of those with his late mother.
The 48-year-old has Prader-Willi syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes obesity, intellectual disability and short stature. He also has spina bifida.
His mother, who helped care for him, died last year and on her deathbed made Hazeldine-Barber promise her he would be okay.
But his world turned upside down when he was told his house would be removed and replaced with three family homes under a Ministry of Housing and Urban Development housing partnership with Habitat for Humanity.
Habitat for Humanity said at the time that in a housing crisis “tough decisions” needed to be made, and the section had the potential to house many people.
The new homes would be offered under a “progressive home ownership programme”, or rent-to-own scheme. The ministry’s priorities were for Māori and Pacific people and families, meaning Hazeldine-Barber was not eligible or suitable for the programme.
The Rotorua Daily Post revealed at the end of April that he had until May 26 to leave, and feared he would be homeless.
At the time, Habitat for Humanity’s central region chief executive Nick Green said it did not have any other homes in Rotorua for him to shift to.
Hazeldine-Barber told the Rotorua Daily Post this week he was excited to move into his new home, but it was tinged with sadness.
“I just want to get into a new house with no more stress, anxiety or panic … But it’s going to take me a very long time to know that I am not in the house where my mum died.”
Hazeldine-Barber was tearful when he told the Rotorua Daily Post this week he would always be sad he had to leave that house.
“I know people say memories come with you but what people don’t know is what I’ve gone through with my mum and this was the last house my mum and I had together. I look [everywhere] and I see my mum. I go into her room every morning and I say ‘good morning Mum’ and I go into her room every night and say ‘goodnight Mum’.”
But as he looked ahead to his new life in a house, within walking distance of everything he needed, he said he was grateful for all the help he had been given, especially from McClay.
“I have been under so much pressure but since the article in the newspaper I’ve had people coming up to me in shops saying ‘Are you the guy in the paper?’ and asking me if I have found a new house.”
McClay said he and his staff took Hazeldine-Barber under their wing, rang around real estate companies they had relationships with and found someone willing to help.
He said Hazeldine-Barber just needed someone to advocate for him to ensure he had a shot at being chosen as a tenant.
“We also found he was paying too much for things. At first, he was reluctant to change because his mum had set those accounts up for him but we said, ‘trust me, it’ll be cheaper’ and we ended up reducing most of those costs by half.”
McClay said he reassured Hazeldine-Barber he would not be homeless and contacted Habitat For Humanity to negotiate a rent-free two-week extension. The organisation agreed to help.
“We have to look after people like this in our community. He needed a hand and we were happy to give it to him.”