A happier home for Helyn

HAPPY FAMILY: Helyn Tavita and grandaughter Aaliyah in their Kaeo home, where insulation is being installed with help from Habitat for Humanity and Whangarei builders.

All Helyn Tavita wanted for Christmas was a house with a toilet, running water and insulation so it wouldn't be bitterly cold next winter.

Since the floods of 2007 wrecked her home and left her in a financial hole, the Kaeo woman and her six-year-old special needs granddaughter Aaliyah have lived in a shed with no heating. Water was piped to an outdoor sink from a spring, and the toilet was a hole in the ground in nearby bush. Their only power was from a generator, which used up the little money they had left over. Because they own their own home, even though it is only a shed, they were not eligible for Housing New Zealand help.

Their predicament was publicised by the Northern Advocate and housing charity Habitat for Humanity earlier this year in the hope that Northlanders would help improve their dire living conditions. And, just in time for Christmas, Ms Tavita's shed was transformed.

On Monday last week a group of Whangarei builders finished insulating and lining the shed, her wood range had finally been installed for cooking and heating, and an indoor tap was about to be connected.

"It's going to be a really different winter. It'll feel like a home instead of living in a shed," Ms Tavita said.

The next project will be creating a bathroom. An old sleepout, which a neighbour shifted into position with his tractor, will have a bath and a waterless composting toilet installed.

"Just being warm and dry, and not having to dig holes and empty buckets instead of having a toilet, will make all the difference," she added.

"I'll have a tap inside so I won't have to stand outside in the rain to do the dishes. I won't get depressed and want to run to Auckland to my mum's place where it's not muddy and cold and horrible."

Habitat for Humanity Northland's Conrad LaPointe said the improvements were not a gift, but would be paid for by Ms Tavita at low interest over three years. However, thanks to the generosity of suppliers, volunteers and donors, a lot of work had been done for little cost. "We just acted as the catalyst. We were overwhelmed by the response," he said.

That response included Whangarei building firm iMaintain, which lined and insulated the shed at a discounted rate, a Kerikeri building supplies firm that donated most of the materials, the Mangonui Lions Club, and many individuals who gave time and cash. The toilet, which was supplied at cost, was a gift from Ms Tavita's mother.

Ms Tavita is now planning to host a barbecue in the New Year to thank everyone who had helped transform her shed.

"It's hard to find the words. Just saying 'thank you' feels a bit inadequate," she said.

- If you are also struggling to pay for essential repairs to your home you can call Habitat for Humanity Northland on (09) 438-2250. If you want to help the organisation you can donate second-hand goods to its ReStore charity shop on Kioreroa Road, Whangarei.