Twenty 20 Sustainable Housing

On a sunny and still morning, Muredach and I roll up to 20/20 Sustainable Housing (20/20) in Kirikiriroa Hamilton, excited to capture another exceptionally special story in our community for the Lots of Little Fires series. For me, I am looking forward to reconnecting with the tenants who I have gotten to know over the past year and to see and hear what is new in their lives. For Muredach, as always, it will be his first meeting with the crew and one which he has been excited about for the past week. We are welcomed in with beautiful big smiles and warm hugs from the staff (Angie, Moses, and Amanda) as well as from long term tenants Terry, Temz and Shorlander.

‘Great to see you Joe and awesome to meet you Muredach!’ says Terry, a long-term resident of 20/20. ‘I’ve watched all the lots of little fires videos and I think they are wonderful Muredach, just really special in the way you make them and celebrate the people in them, and we are so happy you are going to tell our story, because it is one that is so important and people need to know about!’ Terry explains excitedly making Muredach blush! Muredach humbly thanks him and adds how grateful he is to be welcomed in. I love my job!

20/20 Sustainable Housing (20/20) is a new housing development with 24 self-contained apartments. What sets 20/20 apart from other transitional housing providers is the exceptional on-site staff who provide therapeutic and social support services to the tenants who either want or need it. Another unique feature is its mixed tenancy; a beautiful blend of both permanent tenants and rangatahi in transitional housing, both of whom have experienced either homelessness or arrived directly from emergency housing.  

“The tenants and the residents here are what makes this place really special. To say we've got characters on site would be a slight understatement; The things that they do that go over and above to walk alongside our rangatahi, they're just amazing.” says Angie Simpson, director of 20/20.

Angie and her two sons, Moses and Jay are the family team behind 20/20 Sustainable Housing (20/20 SH). During covid, while Angie was working for VOYCE Whakarongo, supporting young people either in or leaving care, and Moses as a case worker supporting homeless people for the People's Project, they became increasingly aware and frustrated that they could not find rental accommodation for many of the homeless rangatahi they were working to support. They realised that they could actually do something about this as a family and decided to use their own family rental apartments as a place for those coming from homelessness or emergency housing.

“We bought this building as a family about eight or nine years ago. It ran really well for a number of years, mainly with international students who were at the university and then Covid happened, and things changed. It was at that time we got together as a family and thought about what we could be doing in terms of starting to address some of the issues of homelessness in the area ourselves and.” explained Angie.

However, they soon met with a number of red tape and bureaucratic barriers that, even though they actually owned their own rental property and had the professional skills and experience to house and support their homeless rangatahi, prevented them from housing the very people they wanted to support.

“We both tried and couldn't get people who were homeless into our own property; the way it had been set up just didn't enable people who are homeless to access it. They needed good access to wifi, to do everything online, to have references, to have bank checks and if you're homeless or if you're leaving care, these are just not available to you. So, we started there and we made changes to how we ran the place.” says Angie.

Angie and Moses have spent their whole lives and careers in service to those that have no one else to love, care and support them. It is rare to meet people with such big hearts and such conviction for being the change they want to see in the world, trailblazing the way for others to follow. I am in awe of what they are doing and what they have accomplished.

“We realised that no one else was doing transitional housing for rangatahi. We kind of found that, you know, yeah there's stuff out there for adults and when you turn 18, brilliant, but if you're 17, you know, 364 days, I'm sorry mate, on the street, you go. And that's not okay. And for so many of our rangatahi they are care experienced so all they've known is someone's there and then they turn 17 or they're just about turn 18 off your trott. And that's not okay” explained Moses.

It is so clear when you meet Angie and Moses that they are deadly serious about tackling the problem our society is facing with homelessness. They are determined to ensure transitional housing is delivered at the exceptional level of service and care of which our rangatahi and tenants absolutely deserve. They have taken things into their own hands and along with Jay, the other son/brother in the family, have made it happen.

“We spoke to MSD and the Ministry for Housing and Urban Development (MHUD) and said, right, ‘what's this about transitional housing for rangatahi? We hear you’ve got a pilot program growing’. They went, ‘oh yeah?’ and then suddenly we went from having five beds, then seven, then nine, then 12, and now we're kicking up a few more for our rangatahi” explains Moses.

The site has 24 studio units and is a mixed community of transitional and permanent tenants. Twelve of those units are available for rangatahi and that was a deliberate decision by Angie and Moses.

“We have some amazing long-term tenants here; we didn't want to lose them and we thought as we set into this that they would probably contribute to the community and also get quite a lot out of it themselves. Well, they've more than contributed. They've made this an amazing safe place for rangatahi to come and to feel safe and to start their journey of healing.” says Angie with a big smile.

There are now four other providers who support rangatahi with housing in the Waikato but between them they still only provide housing for 1% of rangatahi currently homeless in the area.

“We've linked in with the Manaaki Rangatahi ki Waikato collective, and we work together, we support our rangatahi together. We pick fights with MSD and MHUD together if they're not coming to the table like they said they would, we kind of say, ‘actually that's not good enough’… ‘for you, it's a number for us as a person and you can say that's just a bit of data but for us we know the kid that you are saying no to. We know the kids that are not being housed, that are being left with nowhere to go. Would you accept that for your own kids? No you wouldn't so why is it ok for someone else's?’” says Moses.

Angie explains how things work at 20/20 and how they go about supporting the rangatahi who come into their care and home.

“Generally speaking, we see most young people go through a bit of a cycle. So, it'll start with that. First of all, they need shelter, they need somewhere safe, so we start there. They've got a room and it's safe and it's warm. The next thing is nearly always food. There's quite a high level of food anxiety. So, we ensure that they've got food here. There's always food here and we enable them to manage their money so that they can feed themselves well. And part of that's the community because they club together to share food. And then it's the simple things that you perhaps wouldn't have thought about. So, some of our young people will have not seen a doctor in years or never been to the dentist. So, there's some real basic health needs that need addressing and walking alongside our rangatahi with these things helps to slowly build trust and a relationship where they feel safe, valued and respected.”

After a quick cuppa and catching up with everyone, Muredach and I get busy setting up a quiet room for filming some interviews with the tenants I have got to know. We agree that we will have a rolling couple of hours for tenants to drop in when they are either free or feel they would like to share some of their life stories and how 20/20 has and continues to help them grow and flourish in life.

Ben, 30, is happy to come and sit with us first and tell us about his journey to 20/20.  A resident of two years, Ben is a quiet and thoughtful man who has found a strong sense of home and safety here at 20/20. After a number of years being homeless and in emergency housing, Ben was offered a place here at 20/20.

“Before I came here, sometimes I would stay with family or other times I would be on the streets. It can be not just uncomfortable, but I'd say also dangerous trying to live rough. Some nights it was really unpleasant. There were often people who would try to hurt me or make me take drugs when I didn't want to. It was also very lonely. I often broke into churches that maybe left a door or window open as they felt safer, but they were cold and I was always trying not to get caught and stay out of the rain.”

After being referred to emergency housing by the People's Project, Ben received a phone call saying he had been transferred here to 20/20 and he has since found a sense of peace while living here. He enjoys learning about spirituality and different cultures and believes he brings a sense of calmness to the community.

“I am quite a shy and quiet person, but I do enjoy the community hui and dinners Angie and Moses put on for us as they give me a chance to talk with other tenants and help out other people. I am learning te reo and have started to put up translations from english to te reo around the communal spaces to help celebrate and encourage the use of the language and I am enjoying that. I think others appreciate it too.”

Ben explains how he feels safe to be himself here and that he is not judged or excluded; that he can go about his day without fear or worry that something bad may happen to him.

“I really like the lifestyle that I've been able to live through here and feel grateful” Ben says.

Hearing Ben speak this way is very moving and it is impossible not to feel incredibly sad knowing there are such vulnerable people in our society living in a constant state of survival and fear of threat from others. It makes me reflect and wonder how many of us take our own level of safety and comfort for granted each day and how many of us even know about or consider the struggle that so many people go through every day and night just to stay and feel safe.

We ask Ben if he would like to share anything else with us and he is happy to leave it there and let someone else come and speak to us. Thanking Ben for sharing with us, I open the sliding door to our room and see Jeneva chatting to Angie outside by the office.

“Wanna come speak to the camera now Jeneva?” I shout out.

“Oh ok, sure, I’ll come now!” she replies.

As Janeva hops inside and settles on the sofa, she explains that she’s had a pretty stressful morning and apologises that she is a little anxious. We both take a few deep breaths, crack some jokes and have some laughs to lighten the mood. Once Janeva said she was feeling calmer we gently began and asked her to tell us a little about herself.

“So, my name is Janeva, I'm 22. I've been at 2020 transitional housing for 10 months. I have 10 siblings, eight sisters and two brothers.”

“I've been, you know, transitioning into adulthood on my own really. I've never really had my parents; they didn't really have good role models and the family males didn't have good role models as well. I was diagnosed as diabetic in 2013 and as I wasn't taking my medication properly, I was getting really sick and I was taken by OT from hospital at 14 and stayed in care until I was released from custody. I was actually fully restricted from my family until I turned 18”.

Janeva explained how being restricted from her whanau was really hard, but that she was probably better off and got into good habits and learned well away from them. Unfortunately, when Janeva returned to her whanau after living away from them for almost five years, things slipped back into a bad place and both her physical and mental health suffered.

“From 2018 to 2022, I was shifting family homes from moms to nans to my sisters 'cause my mom was kicking me out. I was paying her rent and everything, but she wanted more money. And then sometimes that wasn't even enough, and she'll go mad and so finally I ended up in emergency housing.”

Like with Ben, hearing and listening to understand Janeva’s lived experiences leaves me with an incredibly sad feeling. None of us get two childhoods. Growing up with stable, loving parents who support and care for us is priceless. No programme, course or amount of money can even come close to replacing the nurturing environment that sets us up for the rest of our lives.

Janeva’s experience in emergency housing echoes that of every other I have heard from people living in them.

“I was there for like two weeks, not even a month and it just wasn't safe. There were gang members trying to approach me and then there were people trying to lure me into their motel rooms, like, ‘oh, come in for a cuppa’. I'm like, ‘no’. So, I was on the phone to Winz again and I said, ‘Hey look, I know you have just put me in here, but I don't actually feel safe’ and they were like, ‘well, we can't help you’. And then I just randomly got a call one day saying that I was referred to this place. And then I have been here since… for the last 10 months.”

After speaking with sadness, and almost grief, about her journey to this point, Janeva looks up and smiles,

“My feet have walked a long way to this point, not sure how I made it to be honest, but now I am doing really well. This place has changed everything for me.”

I reflect on what Janeva has told us and share with her that by sharing her story so openly, that she will be helping so many others who feel lost and alone. Just knowing that you have been through it and made it out the other end will spread a lot of hope and comfort for those who desperately need it now.

Janeva lets out a big sye, smiles and thanks me.

“To be honest, I've seen how much I've grown from when I first moved into now. I've just learned how to budget. Like let's say I've spent like $80 on food. 'cause my benefit is like $236, but I know how to budget the whole lot for me. So, I have $80 for food and then like, you know, $20 for a top up and if I need to top up my bus card, I just put $10 on and then like that kind of thing. But yeah, mostly for food I'll spend like at least $80 to a hundred for food. I've learned all that, like just being here 'cause with my mom it was more like I was spending things on expensive things, and you know, like not, not things that I needed.”

She explains that the support from Angie, Moses and the other tenants has meant everything and has enabled her to grow and start to make plans for her future.

“Before my 23rd birthday I really want my nurse qualifications. I want my first vehicle and my first house keys. Like that's what I want my first vehicle and my first house keys before my 23rd birthday. So, for these two months I really have to like crunch.”

From where Janeva began to where she is now in just only ten months is incredible. I ask if she has anything else she would like to share.

“I just wanna say thank you Moses and Angie for helping me. Just helping me, you know, grow into a stronger person, individual, as well as these other tenants here on site. Biggest thank you.”

A knock on the door and Temz pops her head in announcing she has time to chat to us now if that works for us. Jeneva is ready to go as she has to get back to making the decorations with special messages, she started this morning for the community roast dinner. We thank Jeneva for sharing so openly and honestly with us and welcome in Temz.

Temz is 26 years old and has been living at 20/20 for two years.

“Before I came to 20/20, I was homeless. I stayed everywhere. I had a car then, so I was staying in my car, but I was mostly staying down at the lake.”

Temz explained how without Angie and Moses and the People's Project, she would still be homeless.

“They went in fighting for me, and I was able to get permanent emergency housing and then they helped me look for housing and then I came here to 20/20 Housing” she says with a big smile!

Growing up with challenging and often unsupportive family dynamics along with a number of traumatic experiences, Temz admits it has been a struggle to get into a good place in life and to trust in other people.

“When I first came here, I was very shy. Like I hardly ever come outta my room. Then, one of the tenants came and knocked on my door one day and was like, come down to the kitchen and have a feed with me G and I was like, hmm, I don't know about you” she laughs.

“…and it was from that point that I was like, wait, okay, maybe these people aren't so fucking scary after all. Maybe there are people out there that are kind and not assholes.”

We laugh as Temz explains that she has a massive heart and cares deeply for the other tenants here at 20/20, especially the younger ones.

“They know I’ve been through a lot, and they feel they can talk to me about stuff. I don’t judge them. When I look around and see so many of our younger ones, they don’t have anyone, you know they don’t have a home or anyone to help them. It makes me sad and so I feel like I can help the younger ones here and that makes me feel good too.”

I ask Temz how she came to trust Angie and Moses after not trusting many people, especially social service providers and landlords.

“I went through a really horrible situation and I felt so alone because I didn't tell anyone what happened, like, not one person and Moses and Angie are the ones that stood by my side and helped me through that and then I was like, okay, they are not so scary after all, I can trust them, they are here to help me” she explained.

The journey Temz has been on and continues to travel has been tough to say the least however the resolve and determination to keep moving forward and taking positive steps is stronger than it has ever been.

“It is honestly places like this and people like Moses and Angie that do make a difference because, you know, like before coming here and everything that I went through, you know, I was not a nice person. I was heavily addicted to drugs, an alcoholic, very abusive, very angry and always out in and outta hospital. And coming here has, you know, changed me in a positive way. I look forward to my future now, whereas before I didn’t.”

It is so special to hear Temz speak about Angie and Moses in this way. I know how much they both care about Temz and all the tenants here at 20/20. Temz explains that there is so much love and care that goes around here and that what each one puts out to others they get back in abundance. It truly is a healing place.

With that thought, Temz says she must get on as she has to go and make fry bread for this evenings 20/20 community roast dinner. As she gets up to leave, she shouts out to fellow tenant, Shorlanda,

“G they're ready for you, I gotta start cooking.”

Shorlanda rolls up with cap on, hood up and a beaming smile that embodies her wonderful cheeky nature.

“Shall I sit here on the sofa aye?”

Shorlanda has been living here for nine months and is now 22 years old.

“I grew up in foster care from when I was four to when I was twelve. I was in 48 different homes. Yeah, I came from the emergency motels, I think I was only in there for a couple of weeks, but it was shit. I already knew what it was like 'cause heaps of my family had been through them and stuff. It was terrible. It was dirty as I'm pretty sure the toilet had no door, and the bathroom was right in front of the kitchen. I wasn't in there for long though. I complained straight away and then I got brought here and yeah, ever since then my life's just been better.” explains Shorlanda with a sense of relief in her voice.

When Shorlanda first arrived at 20/20, she was on a 24-hour curfew and had been going to court almost every month for the last three to four years. She did not really know how to sort it all out properly and no one was helping her in a way that would actually improve her situation.

“I had no way to get to my court cases and some were in Auckland as well, so yeah, I had really no way to get to my court cases, so I would miss them a lot and that's why it's been going on for three or four years. They used to put warrants out for my arrest, come and arrest me, put me in the cells, give me another court date and then let me out the next day. But yeah, when I moved here and then Angie started taking me to my court cases up in Auckland and speaking to my lawyer and helping out with all of that. It’s massive, it changed everything.”

I cannot even imagine the level of frustration, hopelessness and anger I would feel if I had to go through the experiences that Shorlanda has been through. I am in awe of her resilience, her strength and her spirit.

I ask Shorlanda what makes it special here at 20/20.

“I trust them. They've just helped me a lot since I've been here. They help me with food when I'm starving, they're gonna be helping me hopefully get my restricted licence soon as well. It's just too much” she says.

Now Shorlanda is more in control of her own life and making positive steps forward, she is finding a natural role in the community here helping and guiding other young tenants who have recently moved into 20/20.

“I know I help a lot of young people here. I relate to what they’ve been through, and I listen to them, share some food with them, you know, just be there. That's what I didn't have and so I know it is what they need.”

I ask if she would like to do more work to help other young people, she laughs…

“I could do anything! but seriously I know I can do whatever I put my mind to. I love people and so yeah, maybe, definitely something like that, to help people.”

Shorlanda looks out the window and sees her partner waving for her and says she has to go and asks if we’re finished. I tell we are done and if she could go shout for Terry then we can wrap up our interviews with him.

“No worries, easy as.”

As we are waiting for Terry, Moses pops his head round the corner and asks if we want another cup of coffee. Moses and Angie love their coffee, there is always one brewing and a biscuit for anyone that needs one.

“There is very rarely something that can’t be solved with a hot drink and a biscuit” laughs Moses “we get through a lot of hot drinks and biscuits here!”.

Maybe that is the secret to their success, the calmness, endless level of patience and empathy they have seems limitless, much like their tea, coffee and biscuit supplies.

Moses’ role here at 20/20 is as the onsite caseworker for all the rangatahi. He does everything from helping with shopping, youth payments, contracts, room inspections, counselling… basically anything and everything they need to get to where they want to be from where they are when they arrive. Moses is an incredibly humble yet staunchly passionate man when it comes to the welfare of the rangatahi he supports. I have met people like him before and they are the silent gems in our society who just get things done, the things that most of us wouldn't notice or know need doing, but things that mean everything for the rangatahi he so passionately and pragmatically supports.

With that, we hear Terry’s laugh outside the door and then his flowing silky grey hair drape through from behind the drawn curtains.

“So, you're ready for me are ya?!” he laughs.

Terry makes his way onto the sofa and lays his crutches up beside him. With just one leg, Terry gets around the building using his crutches and or a wheelchair for the longer trips.

Terry is 65 years old and is a long-term tenant who has lived at 20/20 for about eight years. From the moment I first met Terry a few months ago, I was immediately moved by his wonderful sense of humour and his deep care and compassion for the tenants who live here. He told me then that he is so proud of 20/20 and everything that Angie, Moses and Jay are doing for everyone here and that he couldn’t wait to be sharing the story.

I ask Terry to tell us a bit about himself and who he is.

“Well, I came from a pretty crappy background actually. I'm a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. I’ve lived in all sorts of places. Some places were not very nice, and I've struggled with my identity and so I didn't trust many people and when I did trust them, I didn't give them very much who I was and what I was. So, I lived a sort of nomad type life you know. I'd spend my time with people, but I tried not to get too close in my friendships and relationships. There are a lot of crazies out there you see!” he says laughing.

Humour is such a big part of Terry’s personality and one that really seems to make people feel safe, welcome, and relaxed. I ask him where he gets it from.

“I think it must be my English and Scottish side. I’m a bit of a confused Māori and Pākeha boy really. I often struggled with my identity, but I’ve always loved all the classic British comedies. It is silly and light and when times are hard, we laugh, and it gets us through”

Terry came to 20/20 when the place he was living was sold from underneath him and he only had a month to find somewhere new.

“Initially I only came here for the short term, but I’m still here. I do feel sorry for the owners though, I must drive them bloody potty!” he says giggling away!

Terry, as I mentioned earlier, is incredibly proud of 20/20 and he explains to me why.

“What makes this place go? It's what I've said. It's the people who make a difference. This place is exceptional. It's not really looked as a transitional, it's more looked at as a one big, large pa, one big whanau house. Everyone knows each other. We look after each other, but the word which comes out most times is respect, which is not very often you find in lots of transitional places. They bat for us. They basically stand up for us, and if they can, they will come with us and bar on behalf of us. So, what makes this place is the people who run it, and I'm so proud of them”.

Terry talks to us about how he is inspired by the young people who come here who are trying to break the negative cycles in which they have grown up. He hears how the life they have lived at such young ages is what no young person should ever have to go through. Terry has strong opinions on emergency housing and other transitional housing providers.

“Emergency housing in my opinion is crap. It's crap because it takes your mana, it takes your personality, it takes all your strength just to get up in the mornings knowing that it's just another shit day in what people call paradise. It's not paradise. It's bloody disastrous. It is a dumping ground, an excuse for people to look the other way.”

Terry has also experienced other transitional housing providers who do not provide a service anywhere near close to what Angie, Moses and Jay provide here at 20/20.

“You hear from other places, ‘but we're trying, we're trying to do this…we're trying’. Well, I very cynically say to myself, ‘yeah, right, you haven't tried hard enough. You're just paper bashing it and you're just painting it over because when people do go and try to get some help, what help do they get? They don't really get any help.’ But here, we don't need to go very far. The help is just a couple doors down and you know, over the weekend we don't feel anxious because we know that the owners are gonna be back here on a Monday. They give you independence, they give you a bit of privacy. They're not on your doorstep. Like some people say, ‘oh, they must be on the doorstep all the time’, no, they're not. The only time they're on your doorstep is because they're concerned. A concern is the word, which it's used very loosely in other areas and not actually demonstrated.”

Terry is a staunch advocate for 20/20, he believes if all transitional housing was run like this then we could get rid of emergency housing and people would be able to get their lives back on track and make a success of their future. He also feels a strong sense of care and duty towards the young tenants who come here.

“I hope what I can give to these folks is something which I fucking didn't ever get when I was growing up and was going through the whole crap. I want a place where they can knock on my little whare and ask, ‘Hey, can I talk?  Hey, can I get some kai? Hey, have you got any blankets? I'm here and I'm willing to help and I'm here because I care. Because if no other bastard that out there wants to care for them, there's something bloody wrong with them. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.”

Terry is one in a million and the way he moves so fluidly from laughing out loud, to staunch social justice advocate to melancholic reflective is refreshingly real and inspiring. He is the glue in this place and his wisdom, knowing when to say something and when to say nothing is invaluable. Angie and Moses are all too aware of the magic Terry, and all the tenants here bring to the community and are adamant that the transitional housing for rangatahi would not work if they did not have their trusted older long-term tenants here to create a culture that enables them to feel safe and like they belong.

“We're really just getting started and 20/20 is about vision. We do have a clear vision and our short-term vision is getting the place up and running establishing it. So, it's a community where people experience it therapeutically and then I see our young people being involved, our rangatahi becoming the peer supporters of the future, leading the kaupapa and taking it in the direction that they want housing to go.” Angie explains.

For those rangatahi who are transitional here, Angie and Moses put them through ready to rent programs, they make sure they can budget, that they can cook, wash, clean and are able to take the next steps towards renting in the private market. They do this alongside their own property manager so that they leave with a set of references and experience in how to properly look after and maintain a rental property.  The challenge right now is to find landlords and property managers who want to provide houses for the rangatahi so they can move on once they are ready.

“In terms of the wider picture and the longer term, we need places. We need good, safe homes and housing for our rangatahi to move on to. We know there's a shortage of housing and our young people are often in competition for housing with people who are already working, who've got good references, who perhaps have already had tenancies. So, we need a community of landlords out there to think about what they can do to help our rangatahi, to help them be good citizens for the future. They need a hand up, not a handout.”

I ask Angie if there is a call to action, she would like to make to the wider housing community.

“We would love to hear from ‘letting agencies’ who are interested in being part of the solution. I'd like to hear from landlords who maybe only have one or two properties but want to do something to support their community. That extends to future landlords too, if they want to come and be part of this but have got some anxiety about, you know, how to do it, come along and meet us, come, and meet our awesome rangatahi. They really just need someone there for them quite often is all it takes. We are more than happy to host people here, talk about what we do. I mean, sometimes try stopping me talking about it really. These are our future citizens, these are the young people that are gonna be looking after me when I'm old, so I'm gonna invest all I can in them.”

The day of filming comes to a close. Muredach and I put the camera equipment away and we are warmly welcomed into the communal kitchen to join the tenants and staff for an absolutely delicious roast dinner. A dinner that every tenant has made a contribution towards and a dinner that showcases the indescribable warmth and beauty of a truly loving and caring community. This is 20/20 Sustainable Housing, and this is everything that is good about humanity.

Watch the video here

https://youtu.be/goctFGDQN_4?si=UO0OYUjzM0KtqS_I

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