Having been priced out of the Wellington suburb she called home, Teiti spent months living outdoors. Now at Te Ō, and with a beautiful documentary under her belt, she shares her story with us.
I haven’t had a home of my own since 2016. I worked as a seasonal chef, both in Aotearoa and overseas, so I’ve always moved areas every three to four months. In 2023 I decided I wanted to come back home to Island Bay for good.
At first, I stayed with my dear friend in her guest room. But after a few months I started feeling that she really needed her space back. At 57 years old, I found myself going to house-share interviews with people who were 20-30 years younger than me. Even though I think I’d make a really cool ‘flat aunty’, that just wasn’t going to work out. But I had been priced out of the area I call home, because a tiny one-bedroom flat was around $400 per week. That was more than 60% of my total income, and as a chef who worked really hard every day, I wasn’t prepared to give up that much just to have somewhere to live.
I felt that the high cost of living and rents people like me were facing were just wrong, and after months of searching I wanted to do something about it. So at the end of 2023, I decided to responsibly and legally camp around Island Bay, and to share my message by making a documentary about that journey. I started a rigorous daily routine as I continued working as a chef.
At the end of every shift, I’d grab my camping gear and find a spot for the night. I was living with ‘zero waste’ and ‘leave no trace’ principles, which I modelled on the Freedom Camping Act.
Being without a home is tough. Always planning for basic things like a hot shower, charging your devices, and making food means you can never relax. You need to keep yourself safe sleeping in public spaces too. I also felt there was a lot of stigma and disapproving looks from people knowing I was homeless. That was very hard to escape because you live a very public life. You have no home to hide away in.
After my first five months of living outside I became very unwell. I was exhausted, and super sick with worsening breathing conditions and chronic asthma. I needed to get inside for winter. I rang up Housing NZ and basically cried down the phone asking for some help with housing. I was thankful to be placed in the Wellington Women’s House, and that was great, but I still didn’t have my own home. After five months of searching for more permanent social housing, in November I was interviewed and accepted to move into Te Ō as one of their first residents. When I first saw my new apartment, I burst out crying because it was so amazing. I couldn’t quite believe it, and the first few weeks of living here were really emotional because I’d been homeless in one way or another for a long time.
There are some really special things about Te Ō. Being a quality new build makes it feel like I finally have a home of my own. I’m able to have my taonga out that have been in storage boxes for years – artwork my dad made and glassware from my grandmother. I’m also able to build up my pantry, and really look after myself. It’s been beautiful for me, and I feel blessed to be here.
Having Mission kaitiaki around 24/7 also means you feel completely safe, and I’m slowly getting to know the other residents. The kaitiaki are working hard to build this community and bring us all together. After being here for six months, I have a really bright future. Paying 25% of my income means I have a home for the rest of my life. Being in this spot also means I am lucky enough to now be contributing to society – particularly as a filmmaker talking about important issues and telling people’s stories.
I’ve been to Whakamaru quite a bit since it opened too. What I’m seeing there is a heroic effort for homelessness, and for anyone who can’t afford the cost of living. People of all ages are coming in for the free kai, showers, and laundry – even just to have a treat like a muffin and a coffee. I know from my experience that having those services available is a very important reset for people, especially heading into winter.
I think that when times are tough, we need all these little pockets of community like here at The Mission, supporting each other and doing positive things together. As a society we can’t put our heads in the sand about the impacts of the cost of living, and unaffordable quality housing. We need to help those who are homeless to be able to live better, because if we don’t do anything it will get worse – like what you see in the ‘tent cities’ overseas.
In Aotearoa we still have the opportunity to do good things like Te Ō and Whakamaru. So, what I would say to people who donate to the Mission is that, by giving, you’re showing your love and care, and people in our community can feel it!
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