The Tiny Home that HOPE Built...

Giving Hope, Freedom & Independence to those with a disability..

Life was going fine for Josh until the morning of March 9th 2016, when he woke up with severe pain and could hardly walk. Within 15 minutes of getting into the car to go to Christchurch Public Hospital, Josh had lost all movement on his left side. Shortly after arriving at hospital, his breathing stopped and he was immediately put into an induced coma. Josh was 18 years old.

Josh made it through - but from the outset it was clear his recovery path would be slow, and after 5 months public hospital care, he was told that what little movement he had was likely to be it – a little finger movement and some arm and trunk function. Josh was moved to St John of God in Halswell where he has made huge progress. He is determined to one day walk independently – without a frame – and reintegrate back into the community...

...and we want to help people, like Josh, do just that.

But, as Josh points out, one of the problems is a ‘real lack of affordable, accessible housing in New Zealand’.

St John of God Hauora Trust hopes to address that.

Part of the vision and mission at St John of God Hauora Trust is to live and proclaim the healing power of God’s love by inviting people to discover the richness and fullness of their lives, give them a reason to hope, and a greater sense of their dignity.

Coming up with better ways to help reintegrate people, with a disability, back into the community is something that Mark Anderson, Facility Manager for St John of God Halswell, has been working on, over the past 18+ months, in conjunction with the Halswell Menzshed. Draft plans for New Zealand’s first fully accessible tiny home are now at the engineering stage, prior to starting construction.

“There’s a real need in the community for a low-cost housing option… and these tiny homes are seen as an easier option in terms of build time and legal compliance” says Mr Anderson. He points out that there is no government funding for these sorts of projects. “The big picture is building communities - not just solely people living with a disability - but mixed communities, which is where we will see the real benefits.”

Virginia Spoors, St John of God Health & Ability Regional Manager (Southern) is also excited about what this opportunity offers. “This part of [St John of God Hauora Trust’s] journey is around pioneering a model that can be used by others. We would love to see as many people being able to live independently - with a disability - with support - in the community.”

St John of God Hauora Trust and its facilities have a model of care that embodies living life to the full. This has recently included purchasing a tandem quad cycle for residents to get out and about on (Thanks to Foodstuffs (SI) Trust). The waterslide event in Feb 2018 was such a success that they have built a MKII waterslide, with generous help from HEB Construction. St John of God Halswell (and the Grenada Centre) have a facebook page with photos and videos of what they are doing.

Fundraising towards the $85,000 target has commenced, with $16,000 already raised. A Spring Gala Dinner is to be held on Friday October 26th from 6pm. This will be a 5 course dinner. Tickets are $120 pp with proceeds going to the tiny home project.

“Having those attend on the night (or make a donation) will help give people, like Josh, the freedom, independence and extra quality of life that many of us enjoy.”