Haare & Joseph Burke
January 8, 2025
Haremate (Haare) and Joseph Burke signed up for the OWN IT programme with the hopes of fulfilling their dream of buying a home for their son’s future.
In less than a year, they were approved for a brand new 2-bedroom whare in Glen Innes.
The couple were buzzing from the life-changing news and still can’t believe it’s real.
Haare says, “The best part is that we get to stay in Tāmaki. We feel remarkably blessed to be in this position, overwhelmed and proud. It’s so important, because for us, Tāmaki is our home. The area is significant to our family, and we can’t see ourselves living in any other suburb or community.”
The Burke whānau were living in public housing before deciding to put their names forward to join the OWN IT programme. They took advantage of the free, online Financial Capability Workshops sessions on offer, and committed themselves to paying off their debts quicker, reducing unnecessary purchases, and learnt better ways to save money.
Now, they are encouraging other whānau who are renting to jump on board the OWN IT programme and make their money count.
Haare says, “We were paying $611 dollars a week for a two-bedroom house that needed an upgrade and a lot of home improvements. But I really wanted our hard-earned money to go towards something we owned.”
The proud Glen Innes natives are well known in the area, both attended local schools - Haare at Tāmaki College and Joseph at Sacred Heart. Their passion for community led them to get involved in many local projects and initiatives, including taking on leadership roles at the local rugby and netball clubs, and with youth ministries and camps.
Although they were not in the financial position to begin with, the couple were able to grow their income to reach the minimum threshold to qualify. Becoming homeowners was a pivotal change for the whānau as they reflect on the fruits of their labour with pride.
“I became a young parent at the age of 17, but I was still able to return to university to complete my studies, gain a degree, get married - and now, buy a home!
I want our journey to motivate others, to know that with hard work, homeownership through the OWN IT programme is possible. Especially our Māori and Pasifika whānau who are still unsure about it.
For us, this is not just any home or any location. This is the street where I grew up, where I dreamt all these dreams to begin with. And now all those things have become a reality. Not just for myself and my husband - but for our son.
I love that we were able to achieve and accomplish all these beautiful milestones here in Tāmaki,” says Haare.
TRC Household Advisor, Erin Liava’a, has been supporting the couple on their journey to home ownership, offering sound advice when needed. She credits hard work and commitment to their success and hopes this story will inspire other hardworking whānau to look into shared home ownership as a way to buy a home for them and their loved ones.
And Haare hasn’t stopped smiling since.
She says, “The most joy I felt was surprising our boy when he arrived home from his school trip in Europe. We received the acceptance news the week he left - but we wanted to surprise him when he returned after three weeks.
Every inch of my heart and soul wanted to tell him sooner, however, we waited for the day after he came home to share the exciting news. When we arrived at the house, Erin was there too, and once we made the announcement there were tears, cheering, and so much love and hugs!
It will forever be one of the happiest moments of our lives.”
