October 2025

Tēnā koutou katoa

The weather is finally warming up and my irises are blooming – a sure sign that summer is on its way. This month, I had the pleasure of attending several International Day of Older Persons celebrations and joining in some of the wonderful activities on offer for seniors. I can thoroughly recommend line dancing, which was great fun and certainly challenged both my mind and my body!

I have some important news to share. After four rewarding years, I have resigned as CEO of Haumaru Housing and will be departing in mid-November. It has been both a privilege and a pleasure to lead this organisation and to serve our tenants across the villages.

Much has happened during my time with Haumaru. Highlights include the opening of two new villages (Glen Eden’s Wilson Village and Northcote’s Greenslade Court), how we responded to the Auckland Anniversary floods in 2023, and our work to improve homes and gardens and strengthen our relationships within local communities. We’ve also adapted to the rent funding subsidy changes to ensure we can continue to provide affordable rental housing for older Aucklanders, deepened our cultural learning journey as a team and embraced it in our practices, and established a strong executive leadership team to prepare for future growth.

Through it all, our purpose has remained clear – to provide warm, dry and safe homes for you, our tenants, and to support your independence and wellbeing. The consistently high level of satisfaction you report tells me that our teams are living our values of respect, kindness, responsiveness and accountability every day in their work and in how they deliver services to you.

Please continue to take care of yourselves and of each other. Recruitment for my successor is underway, and you will be updated once an appointment is made.

I’ll finish with a whakataukī that captures what matters most – the people we serve and those we work alongside: He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata. What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.

Ngā mihi

Gillian Schweizer,

Chief Executive Officer

Breakfast get-together at Greenslade Court

On 24 September, our newest village – Greenslade Court – came alive with warmth and connection during a vibrant breakfast morning event organised by our Tenancy Quality Manager Maxine. Community groups including Age Concern, CNSST Foundation, Hospice Care, Digital Seniors, Northcote Get Together and Kāinga Ora gathered to share their services with our new tenants. At one point, almost 80 people filled the communal space, chatting and engaging with enthusiasm. One exciting outcome from the event is that CNSST will now be offering English classes for Chinese tenants in the Greenslade communal hall, helping our tenants feel even more confident and connected in their new surrounds.

Community life blossoms at Belmont Court

At Belmont Court on the North Shore’s Devonport Peninsula, community spirit is always in full bloom. In the heart of the village sits a sunny pergola, a favourite meeting spot where tenants gather to chat and enjoy each other’s company, especially during the warmer months. The village has 27 units, and many residents share a love of gardening, tending to the village gardens together and taking pride in creating a colourful, welcoming environment for everyone to enjoy. Their teamwork not only keeps the grounds looking beautiful but also strengthens the friendships that make Belmont Court such a special place to live.

Connecting through learning

Tenants from Hills and Ōtara Courts recently completed a 20-week workshop on how to use their Smartphones. The course was delivered by Leilani Glassie of Digital Inclusion Alliance Aotearoa. The participants are pictured at their graduation and lunch celebration. Well done, everyone!

Tenants from Glen Eden’s Westview Village (left) and 19 Karaka Street Village in New Lynn (right) welcomed Trish Fleming from West Hospice to hear about the many services they provide to individuals and families. Trish also provided information on setting up an EPoA (Enduring Power of Attorney). Everyone learnt a lot and also enjoyed a cuppa and morning tea together.

A blooming good day out

North Shore villagers had a wonderful day out on 15 October, travelling in the Selwyn minivans to the beautiful Wintergarden at Auckland Domain. As you can see from the pics below, the timing couldn’t have been better, with the flowers in full spring bloom. Afterwards, everyone set off on a tiki tour around the city, taking in Mission Bay, the nearby marae and rediscovering areas they hadn’t been to in many years. It was a day filled with fun, laughter and memories and a lovely reminder of how good it feels to reconnect with our city.

Tenants from Bentley, Birkdale and Lancaster Courts and from Shepherds Park enjoyed a ‘blooming’ lovely day out.

Connecting with our communities

Community Manager Danielia promoted Haumaru’s range of affordable rental options at the ever-popular Franklin Positive Ageing Expo in Pukekohe on 3 October.

Lead Client Services Coordinator Dee and Community Manager Michelle attended a workshop at the Onehunga Community Recycling Centre (CRC) on 8 October. The workshop explored how organisations can support the CRCs around Auckland and the broader benefits these centres offer to the community, including Haumaru Housing tenants. It was a very productive session that will help guide our future collaboration and community involvement.

If you’re concerned about an immediate threat to life or property, call the emergency services on 111.