It’s not flash or fancy; just a basic white weatherboard house on a corner site in a residential suburb in West Auckland.
But to its occupant, mum-of-five Potoz, the house is a haven.
Potoz – who prefers to be known by the nickname she was given on the streets rather than her real name – can now do things most of us take for granted. She can sit on the deck in warm weather, watching as ducks from a nearby park waddle across the lawn. She can cook her own meals in her kitchen, wash her clothes in the washing machine.
While she may not be able to put nails in the walls to hang pictures, she can display photos of loved ones in frames on shelves in the living room. She is warm and dry, and she is safe.
For many people, the term “homeless” brings to mind men in filthy
