Specially Designed Home for the Inu Whānau

Teenager Gloria Inu shares her excitement and happiness with smiles in her brand new, specially designed Tāmaki Housing home. 

Gloria, 18, and her whānau have just received the keys to their newly built 4-bedroom home in Panmure, large enough to manoeuvre her wheelchair around the entire house and out into the garden. 

Tāmaki Housing, Fletcher Living and Kāinga Ora worked together to turn a standard family house design into a home fit for Gloria’s needs. 

Gloria’s sister Siera said: “She loves the house, she’s always smiling. There’s heaps more space, and she can get outside because the doors open out to the backyard. The open plan, wide doorways and vinyl floors mean it’s easy to move around in her wheelchair.”

Siera, her mum Moia, dad Avagonofoa, and brother Likisone, have 24-hour care of Gloria, who was born with Pallister-Killian syndrome and attends Sommerville special school. The larger house means Gloria has been able to bring home equipment she also uses at school including a standing frame. 

The extra space and open plan living have made a huge difference to the whānau who have been Tāmaki Housing tenants for 30 years. Siera, who works as a teacher, said: “The space is perfect. Gloria used to just go from her room to the lounge but now she can get around the house.” She has her own spacious room and specially designed bathroom on the ground floor.

Tāmaki Regeneration Company’s tenancy management arm, Tāmaki Housing, has provided public housing in Tāmaki since 2016. The Panmure house is a milestone for Tāmaki Housing because it has been able to provide a whānau with a fully accessible house not just retrofit an existing house. TRC’s Build Design Standards for Tāmaki requires that at least 20% of public housing dwellings meet a higher level of accessibility and a higher level of amenity.

Tina Stolze, Tāmaki Housing Neighbourhood Liaison Advisor, asked the whānau what they needed every step of the way and partnered with Gloria’s occupational therapist. Siera said: “Tina was great. She worked really hard to push everything through.”

Peter Lauina, of Tāmaki Housing, said: “It is great to know that we have been able to serve a family to live well in their home.” 

Franswa Janssen, Senior Development Manager Kāinga Ora, said it was a perfect partnership. “When TRC approached the Kāinga Ora team to assist with a very special whānau in Tāmaki we didn’t hesitate at all. We reviewed all our active projects to find the best location as well as the best new build that would suit the needs of the whānau.”