Another 1000 vulnerable Waikato families will benefit from free home insulation thanks to the Warm Our Whare initiative run by Waikato DHB’s MÄori 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 MÄori 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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