Waikato DHBWednesday 13 November 2013, 4:46PM
Media release from Waikato DHB
Another 1000 vulnerable Waikato families will benefit from free
home insulation thanks to the Warm Our Whare initiative run by
Waikato DHB’s Māori health service Te Puna Oranga.
As part of the initiative, there has already been insulation in 505
Waikato homes through Te Puna Oranga’s Project 270, said Waikato
DHB General Manager of Māori Health Ditre Tamatea.
“Hundreds of Waikato families are reaping the rewards of the Warm
Our Whare component of Project 270, and we look forward to giving
many more families the same opportunity.”
Project 270 focuses on addressing child/whanau poverty through
three components: provision of food in schools, health services in
schools and free home insulation for eligible families.
The project is called 270 because within Aotearoa New Zealand an
alarming 270,000 children live below the poverty line. Many more
live just above it.
Cold and damp homes bring on a wide range of health issues,
including respiratory problems and rheumatic fever.
“Provision of free home insulation improves recipients’ health and
general wellbeing through the creation of a warmer, drier, and
healthier place to live,” said Mr Tamatea.
In order to meet the criteria for assessment, each applicant must
live in a home built before year 2000, be eligible for a community
services card, and be over 65 years old or have children under 17
years old.
”You can own the home or you can rent the home. However, if you
rent the home you have to have permission from the property owner
to have the home insulated,” said Mr Tamatea.
Applicants must also live in South Waikato, Hamilton, or within 30
kilometres of Hamilton.
Te Puna Oranga secured funding this time for 400 of the 1000 homes
to be in South Waikato.
“We know there is a significant number of high-needs whanau in
South Waikato. What’s more, the temperature there is a couple of
degrees colder than Hamilton, so good insulation is essential,” he
said.
Referrals for this intake of Warm Our Whare close on 28 February
and the programme works on a first-in first-served basis.
The scheme is an extension to the successful Warm Up New Zealand:
Heat Smart programme, which insulated the homes of more than 85,000
families, about half of which were on low incomes.
For more information and application form go to
www.waikatodhb.health.nz/tepunaoranga
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