Toala Aiga find home ownership

Don’t let the fear of debt stand in the way of your home ownership dream

It is simple but wholehearted advice from new homeowner, Fa'atili Toala. 

With hard work and commitment, the Toala family moved from state tenure into home ownership through OWN IT, purchasing a home in their community of Glen Innes. 

They are proud to share their story to encourage other aspiring whānau to buy a home. 

“We had almost $70,000 in debt when we signed up for the programme,” Fa'atili says. 

“Some people don't know how to be vulnerable in this space, but you have to be honest with the team so they can help you. We did the training, and I asked a million questions.”

Fa'atili, wife Nolini and their aiga have lived in Tāmaki since 2007. They lead busy lives with Fa'atili previously serving as a bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while working full-time at Oranga Tamariki. Nolini is a Senior Lead Operator at Winstone Nutrition, and they have three children living at home with them.

In 2019, they signed up to OWN IT, a shared homeownership initiative facilitated by Tāmaki Regeneration and the Housing Foundation. The couple are grateful to both TRC and Housing Foundation for their support.

“I can't forget the day we met with TRC to do the hand over, I felt like we were free. Now we own the house. There's only one debt left for us, and it's our mortgage. We are very happy,” Nolini says.

“We still sometimes forget that we own our house because we were so used to living under someone else,” Fa'atili says. “So, every time I call our Household Manager Erin, she answers the phone and says ‘hello homeowner!’”

The love they have for their aiga and community only speaks to the selfless love and service that is embedded in Pacific culture - a culture of giving back. Throughout the years, they have adopted thirteen children from Samoa, and at one time, they had twelve family members living under the roof of their three-bedroom home. 

“We've been sustaining and supporting our family ever since we landed here. I think that's the nature of us. We were born to serve and help others,” Fa'atili says.

“But that can be a shackle, that we can't say no, because of our upbringing. It was never an easy journey, and we would have owned maybe two or three properties by now if our priority was different. But we will never forget to look back, because that's the love we have.”

The family decided to sign up to OWN IT because “we've got to be selfish for once, for ourselves,” Fa'atili says.

“It really comes down to your commitment to do something for you and your family. And there's no doubt that funerals, birthdays, weddings, those things are always there. I said to myself, this is your responsibility to find a home for your family. I don't do it to bring honour to myself. We learned that we need to be humble in our 1969 Toyota Corolla.”

They sold one of their cars, attended financial workshops, and committed to paying off their debt. Now they are grateful to lay down permanent roots in their community for their children, grandchildren, and extended aiga. 

Having their children on board now means conversations as a household have changed.

“We talk about mortgage payments, and the more we talk about it with our children, the better informed they are. They understand that it's not easy. We want to inspire them because they will have their own family one day.”

“To my Pasifika brothers and sisters, think about the future of your family, of your children,” Fa'atili says.