Habitat for Humanity in New Zealand

Not everyone is able to enjoy the country's beauty, however. As New Zealand land prices and the cost of daily living continue to increase at a great rate, the dream of homeownership is sadly one that fewer and fewer New Zealand families are achieving. A 2008 study by Demographia International found that New Zealand has some of the least affordable housing in the developed world and its estimated that 29 percent of households that rent in New Zealand suffer from housing related stress. The high cost of housing keeps families in a cycle of poverty as little money is left for food, clothing, healthcare and education.

To combat these problems, HFH New Zealand began working with families in 1993. The first New Zealand house was built by our Franklin affiliate (now part of the Greater Auckland affiliate) in Pukekone in 1993. Today, Habitat for Humanity has 12 affiliate offices throughout New Zealand and has helped more than 300 families move into their own home.

Recently, HFH New Zealand initiated a housing project in partnership with a local Maori tribe and the New Zealand government. The Maori tribe provides the land; Habitat for Humanity and the New Zealand government share in providing the funds to build houses. HFH New Zealand has a "house-for-a-house" tithe policy where for every house built in the country, a similar amount is sent to a developing country.