The Pacific Healthy Homes initiative aims to make sure more Pacific families living in South Auckland and Porirua have warmer, drier and healthier homes.
Pacific Healthy Homes connects older Pacific peoples and their families in these areas - particularly those who suffer from chronic health conditions - with local providers who can assess their homes and provide help with things like curtains, ventilation, heating, insulation, education, or minor repairs.
The initiative builds on Health New Zealand’s Healthy Homes Initiative and the Energy, Efficiency and Conservation Authority’s Warmer Kiwi Homes programme and is tailored specifically for Pacific communities.
Led by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, it is a collaboration with Sustainability Trust and Habitat for Humanity.
The Pacific Healthy Homes Initiative builds on the eligibility criteria of the Healthy Homes Initiative and Warmer Kiwi Homes. It provides additional support for Pacific peoples who may not have been eligible under previous programmes.
To be eligible for help under Pacific Healthy Homes, you must:
be a Pacific person aged 45 years or over
have experienced an Ambulatory Sensitive Hospitalisation (ASH) condition. Common ASH conditions for people aged 45–64 include angina and chest pain, myocardial infarction (heart attack), cellulitis, gastroenteritis or dehydration, COPD, pneumonia, kidney or urinary tract infections, stroke, congestive heart failure, and diabetes. Other ASH conditions may also qualify.
be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
be on a low income
be renting or living in a home you own
be living in Porirua or South Auckland.
Note: Young Pacific children with the same conditions, and pregnant people, are already supported through the existing Healthy Homes Initiative.
To access the Pacific Healthy Homes initiative, contact your regional providers listed below.
South Auckland:
Habitat for Humanity Northern Region
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0800 422 4828
Website: Habitat Northern Region
Porirua:
Sustainability Trust – Well Homes Pacific Healthy Homes initiative
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0508 787 824
The Pacific Healthy Homes initiative includes a range of support, depending on the needs of families and their home environments. Those who receive housing help through the programme will be connected to local providers who can assess their homes and deliver the support they need to make their homes warmer, drier and healthier.
The support will be tailored to each family and their home, but might include things like curtains, heating, ventilation, insulation, education, or minor repairs.
Housing is a significant determinant of health outcomes. Living in a cold, damp home increases the risk of respiratory problems and other preventable health conditions.
Data shows that Pacific peoples are more likely to experience preventable housing-related hospitalisations, compared with all other groups.
By helping more Pacific peoples access housing that is warm and healthy, it will improve health outcomes and quality of life.
Pacific Healthy Homes builds on the Healthy Homes Initiative and Warmer Kiwi Homes programme, with a focus on Pacific peoples aged 45-plus. It aims to provide comprehensive support improving home environments, and reduce preventable housing-related hospitalisations, for this group.
Older Pacific peoples have not been included in the eligibility for similar programmes in the past, or may not have participated in these programmes, so this initiative aims to address that disparity and help this group access the right support for their homes.
The Pacific Healthy Homes initiative has been designed to help people who might not be able to access existing healthy homes programmes, and to help those most at risk of being hospitalised due to preventable conditions that are caused or worsened by unhealthy home environments.
The Pacific Healthy Homes initiative focuses on older Pacific peoples because data shows they have high rates of hospitalisation due to preventable conditions, that are caused or worsened by unhealthy home environments.
Young Pacific children with the same conditions, and pregnant people, are already supported through the existing Healthy Homes Initiative.
At this stage the initiative focuses on the two regions with the highest Pacific population, hospitalisation rates and socioeconomic need: South Auckland, and Porirua in Wellington.