The MacArthurs share about life in their new home

Jackie and tony MacArthur had been renting for over 10 years with their young tamariki, and the thought of being homeowners didn't even cross their minds. Today, they are the happy owners of a four-bedroom home in Tāmaki, and they're questioning why they waited so long to join the Own It programme.

Jackie says, “I just never thought we would qualify, that we could even do it. I grew up in social housing, and no one ever spoke about buying a house or owning their home. It wasn’t a conversation anyone had.”

The MacArthur whānau are grateful to the Own It team for the extra encouragement and boost they needed to get on board, and they admit the hardest part was being vulnerable enough to share their financial situation and sending in all their documentation.

Jackie and Tony MacArthur had been renting for over 10 years with their young tamariki, and the thought of being homeowners didn’t even cross their minds. Today, they are the happy owners of a four-bedroom home in Tāmaki, and they’re questioning why they waited so long to join the Own It programme.

Jackie says, “I just never thought we would qualify, that we could even do it. I grew up in social housing, and no one ever spoke about buying a house or owning their home. It wasn’t a conversation anyone had.”

The MacArthur whānau are grateful to the Own It team for the extra encouragement and boost they needed to get on board, and they admit the hardest part was being vulnerable enough to share their financial situation and sending in all their documentation.

“We looked at the amount of debt we had and we were too embarrassed to share those figures with anyone. It was definitely scary, because we grew up thinking debt was normal, and things like credit cards and After Pay were how everyone paid for things. We couldn’t imagine how we would make purchases without borrowing money, using layby or hire-purchase.”

After completing the Own It financial workshop, they implemented the skills they learnt to lower their debt, cancel accounts like Afterpay, and learnt to save and live within their means and buy what they needed, when they needed it.

The financial literacy workshops are offered in-house when you first register for the Own It programme. The workshops have been a game changer for many whānau who improved their financial situation by learning ways to save, invest and manage debt. Today, the MacArthurs are keen advocates of the Own It programme, encouraging friends and family to just sign up, even if they’re still on the fence about it.

“After seeing an ad on Facebook, we just took a chance and registered. Then we were surprised to get a call back straight away.

So if you’ve ever dreamed of owning a home, just put your name down, because you’ll never know unless you do. We never imagined we’d be one of those whānau you read about, but here we are.” Husband Tony admits he was apprehensive throughout the process, but now fully supports the programme and has encouraged his work colleagues to register.

“We didn’t have many people visit us at home before, because our last rental home was too small. I used to dread times when everyone would be home, like during the school holidays we’d be getting in each other’s hair.

Now we’re excited to host our relatives when they visit from overseas, and we have get-togethers with groups from our church. Everyone loves coming over, and they can stay if they want, because we have the space now and everything is new,” he says.

Having grown up in Panmure and Glen Innes, it was important for Jackie to raise her tamariki in the area she loved, enjoying the same outdoor spots and community spaces that she enjoyed as a child. Jackie and Tony both work in education, and their children attend local schools within walking distance, which is a bonus for the busy whānau.

Jackie says, “We absolutely love our new home. We have a playground right across the road, and the kids can scooter down to the awa with their friends whenever they want. There’s a dairy and shops right there at the corner. We’ve been enjoying all the local community events and celebrations happening at Te Oro and the library.” Since becoming homeowners, Jackie and Tony now have the freedom to expand their dreams, way beyond what they imagined and hoped for their children.

“It feels good coming home each day, knowing that this is all ours, our own home. It’s given us housing security for our kids, they don’t have to worry about moving. We’re not nervous anymore about decorating our house how we want, or whether we can put holes in the walls to hang our family photos.

Owning a home was our dream, and we’ve achieved that. We need a new dream. Now we’re asking each other, ‘what’s our new dream now?’”

You can read the full edition of the Mai Tāmaki Magazine for Spring 2025 online here.