Well Homes

29/09/2026

🌿 LONG TERM PLAN 2027–2037 | KŌKIRI MARAE

On Monday morning we were pleased to welcome Mayor Fauono Ken Laban back to Kōkiri Marae, following his visit with us earlier in the year. This time, Mayor Laban brought along Deputy Mayor Keri Brown and members of his Hutt City Council team for an important kōrero around the Long Term Plan 2027–2037.

It was a great opportunity for our Kōkiri kaimahi to share what we are seeing and hearing every day from the whānau and communities we serve.

We spoke openly about the pressures whānau are facing with the rising cost of living and housing, particularly some of our most vulnerable kaumātua who may not always reach out for support.

Our kōrero also highlighted the importance of keeping our pools, libraries and community facilities accessible, creating safe and healthy spaces for our tamariki and whānau, and ensuring our local voice, identity and community connections remain strong as our city plans for the future.

A huge mihi to Mayor Fauono Ken Laban for returning to Kōkiri and bringing his team along to sit with our kaimahi, listen and hear directly about what matters to our whānau and our community.

Our whānau are at the heart of our mahi, and we appreciate every opportunity to ensure their voices and experiences are heard in conversations that help shape the future of our city ❤️🙏🏾

Fauono Ken Laban Mayor of Lower Hutt
Kokiri Marae Health & Social Services.
Kokiri Marae Pātaka Kai
Takiri Mai Te Ata Regional Stop Smoking Service
Tihei Rangatahi
Kokiri Marae Naenae Hub
Well Homes

23/09/2026

🏐💛 WELL HOMES OUT IN THE COMMUNITY! 💛🏐

We had an awesome day at the launch of the Ulalei - Primary School Netball League in Wainuiomata on Saturday! 🙌🏽

With over 160 tamariki taking the courts, it was great to be amongst our community, supporting an awesome kaupapa while connecting with whānau and sharing information about Well Homes 🏡❤️

The league runs for 5 weeks, and Well Homes will be there every Saturday! If your whānau need support with keeping your home warm, reducing power costs, mould, dampness or other housing concerns, come over and have a kōrero with us.

Awesome to see the launch featured in the Wainuiomata News too! 📰👏🏽

📍 Look out for the Well Homes team each Saturday — come and see us!
📞 0800 675 675

14/09/2026

🏡 A Healthier Home for Whānau

A sole mother and her two young children were referred to Well Homes after ongoing issues with a leaking roof were contributing to a cold, damp home and recurring health concerns.

Despite previous maintenance requests, the issue continued. Well Homes provided practical support, healthy homes education and ongoing advocacy to help the whānau navigate the tenancy process.

The outcome? The whānau were successfully transferred into a warm, dry, home that better meets their needs. ❤️

This is why our mahi matters "Healthier homes, Healthier whānau"

If you or your whānau need support, contact us today!!
Well Homes - 0800 675 675 or [email protected]

07/09/2026

🌿 Strengthening Community Connections 🌿

This morning we had the pleasure of welcoming Vailoa Tuitaʻalili, the new Team Lead for Community Events at Hutt City Council, and her awesome team to our Kōkiri Marae hui. 💚

Vailoa and the team shared some great kōrero around pathways to funding for community events, the support available, and how we can help turn local ideas and kaupapa into events that bring our whānau and communities together 🙌🏾

It was such a valuable and informative session, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions, learn and strengthen our connections.

We think Vailoa and her team are doing some amazing mahi and really appreciated their warm, approachable way of sharing their knowledge with us.

Ngā mihi Vailoa and team for spending your morning with our Kōkiri whānau. We look forward to staying connected and seeing what opportunities we can create together for our communities. 🤝🏾💚



Kokiri Marae Health & Social Services. Takiri Mai Te Ata Regional Stop Smoking Service
Kokiri Marae Pātaka Kai
Kokiri Marae Naenae Hub
Tihei Rangatahi
Well Homes

02/09/2026

02/09/2026

🖤💚 Hauora Day at Wainuiomata High School 💚🖤

An awesome day spent alongside the tauira at Wainuiomata High School for their Hauora Day! 🙌🏾✨

It was so good to spend time with our rangatahi, sharing kōrero, having a few laughs, and creating opportunities for them to learn more about the hauora services and support available to them, their whānau and our wider community. 🥰

Over 20 different services and providers came together for the day, including Well Homes, Whai Oranga o te iwi Health Centre, Vibe, Awatai Midwives, Kokiri Marae Health & Social Services, and many more! 🤩👏🏾

Days like this are such a great opportunity for tauira to learn, ask questions, make connections and gain knowledge that they can take with them beyond the classroom. 🌱📚

A huge mihi to Wainuiomata High School for bringing everyone together and creating such a positive space for learning, connection and hauora.

We absolutely loved being part of it! 🖤💚🏡

Mā te mātauranga ka tipu te rangatahi… Through knowledge, our rangatahi grow 🌱✨



Te Kura Matua o Wainuiomata: Wharekura
Tihei Rangatahi
Kokiri Marae Pātaka Kai
Takiri Mai Te Ata Regional Stop Smoking Service
Well Homes
Kokiri Marae Health & Social Services.
Ulalei Wainuiomata Netball Club
Sustainability Trust

10/08/2026

Exciting developments are taking shape at Wainuiomata Marae! 🌿🏡

This morning at our Kōkiri Marae Hauora staff hui, Cheryl Davies, Manager of Tū Kotahi Māori Asthma and Research Trust, shared the vision and progress behind the Wainuiomata Marae papakāinga, Indigenous playscape and wider marae development.

After many years of dedicated mahi, a long-term vision centred on whānau, whakapapa, kaitiakitanga and oranga Māori is coming to life.

The development includes 12 affordable rental homes on marae whenua, a new Tihei Rangatahi building and a unique papa tākaro where tamariki can connect with Te Taiao, whakapapa and local stories through nature-based play.

The papa tākaro will also feature two slides representing Ngake and Whātaitai, the two taniwha of Te Whanganui-a-Tara, connecting tamariki with local pūrākau, whakapapa and the whenua 🛝

A Ngahere Korowai, or tiny native forest, will help bring back native birds and insects. A planned nature walk around Pukeatua will invite tamariki and whānau to explore the whenua, discover native wildlife and strengthen their connection with Te Taiao. Up on the maunga, a Matariki telescope area is also planned, creating a special place for whānau to observe the stars and connect with mātauranga Māori. ✨🔭

The marae has also recently opened Arohanui, a welcoming community laundrette where whānau can do their washing in comfort. Laundry products are automatically dispensed, with coffee, hot chocolate and even massage chairs available to enjoy while they wait! 🧺☕️

This kaupapa is about so much more than new homes and buildings. It is about creating a thriving and connected kāinga where tamariki, rangatahi, kaumātua and whānau can live, learn, play and grow together.

We are so excited to watch this beautiful vision come to life for Wainuiomata whānau and generations to come 🖤💚

05/08/2026

❄️ Well Homes Mid-Winter Lunch ❄️

Yesterday our team took a well-deserved moment to come together for our Well Homes mid-winter shared lunch. ❤️

A huge thank you to our amazing teams from Tū Kotahi Māori Asthma Trust & Research and Sustainability Trust for all the passion, dedication and aroha you bring to this kaupapa every single day.

Our mid-winter lunch was a chance to reconnect, reflect on the incredible mahi we’ve achieved together, share some delicious kai, and have a few laughs along the way. We even wrapped up the afternoon with a fun Well Homes quiz to put the team’s knowledge to the test! 😄

Over the past year we’ve been proud to:
🏡 Support more than 1000 whānau
🤝 Work alongside 80+ community providers, services and networks
❤️ Continue helping whānau create warmer, healthier homes across our communities.

And what better way to celebrate than during a Wellington winter… complete with snow! ❄️😂 The first snowfall we’ve seen since 2011 certainly made our mid-winter lunch feel extra special.

While the cold weather is here, our mahi continues. Together, we’ll keep supporting whānau through these chilly (and now snowy!) days, because no whānau should have to choose between staying warm and meeting life’s other essentials.

Thank you to every person, organisation and partner who works alongside us. It truly takes a village, and together we’re making a real difference, one home and one whānau at a time. 💙

27/07/2026

Recently, staff from Well Homes, our wider Kokiri Hauora collective and community partners, had the opportunity to attend Waenga by Jim Moriarty.

More than a performance, Waenga created a space for honest conversations, learning, and connection. It reminded us that every person carries a story, and understanding those stories is an important part of building trust and walking alongside whānau.

The experience challenged us to look beyond what we see on the surface and consider the wider experiences, systems, and circumstances that shape people's lives. It reinforced the importance of listening with empathy, leading with compassion, and working with our whānau in ways that uphold their mana.

At Well Homes, we know that healthy homes are about more than warm, dry houses. They are about people, relationships, and creating environments where whānau feel safe, supported, and able to thrive.

Ngā mihi nui to Jim Moriarty, the cast, and everyone involved in bringing Waenga to our community. Thank you for creating a space that encouraged conversation, challenged perspectives, and reminded us why our mahi is so important ❤️

12/05/2026

There are some hui that stay with you long after they finish, and our time with Te Paepae Arahi was one of them 💛

Well Homes were honoured to be invited in to share the Well Homes and Tiaki Mahana kaupapa with both staff and whānau. What unfolded was more than just a presentation, it was real kōrero, genuine connection, and shared understanding.

As we spoke about the realities many of our whānau face, cold homes, overcrowding, mould, high power costs, and the impact this has on health and wellbeing, there were so many moments of acknowledgement around the room. These weren’t just stories being told. These were lived experiences, seen and felt by many of the people sitting there with us.

That is the power of kanohi ki te kanohi connection. Creating safe spaces where people can speak openly, be heard, and know they are not alone.

The staff and whānau at Te Paepae Arahi welcomed us with aroha and manaaki. The whanaungatanga throughout the hui was beautiful, and the feedback afterwards reminded us how important these conversations are for our communities.

What made this hui even more special was the shared passion to continue walking alongside whānau together. Te Paepae Arahi are eager to collaborate and connect whānau into Well Homes and Tiaki Mahana so we can continue supporting warmer, drier, healthier homes and reducing the pressures many families are carrying.

This kaupapa has always been bigger than housing. It is about people. It is about health. It is about dignity, connection, and ensuring our whānau feel supported every step of the way.

An awesome hui, powerful kōrero, and the beginning of a relationship grounded in collaboration, trust, and a shared commitment to tautoko our whānau and communities 🤝🏽

To learn more about the amazing kaupapa and support available through Te Paepae Arahi, visit:
🌐 https://www.tepaepae.co.nz/

If you know a whānau with tamariki or rangatahi aged 0–19 living in a cold, damp, overcrowded, or unhealthy home environment, please reach out to Well Homes.

For energy support and power saving education for all whānau, our Tiaki Mahana service is also here to help.

📞 0800 675 675
📧 [email protected]
🌐 https://www.tukotahi.org.nz/well-homes

Takiri Mai Te Ata Regional Stop Smoking Service
Kokiri Marae Health & Social Services.
Kokiri Marae Naenae Hub
Kokiri Marae Pātaka Kai