Salem’s story

Salem Kingi knows her children are polar opposite personalities.

“My daughter, she’s really independent. My son, he doesn’t like me to even look at anyone else.”

Kehlani, 2, prefers to play on her own, exploring uncharted areas of the new home. Kymani, 3, is fiercely protective of his mother and doesn’t like her to leave his sight. Even when he has her undivided attention, he clings to her. When that attention strays, even for just a moment, he might scream or slam a door.

The family have been through a lot. Years of housing insecurity took them from Auckland to Timaru, then finally to Wellington.

In Auckland, they spent several months in emergency housing. However, in Timaru, even emergency housing was in short supply.

“They told me to stay where we were – or we’d be out on the streets.”

Instead, she flew to Wellington with her children, with time to pack just one suitcase for herself and her kids. There they stayed with her sister, sleeping on the couch for several months.

Women’s Refuge supported Kingi in her search for a home and helped the family source furniture. Everything was donated – couches, beds, white-ware.

“We’d be sitting on the floor otherwise.”

After a month in the house, there’s only been one drawback so far: the recently unusable oven.

A mishap involving one of her children resulted in the door being broken. It was misadventure rather than temper, Kingi clarifies. “I don’t understand how my daughter did it,” she says.

“Having this house means the world, I sleep so much better at night. I don't need to worry about whether or not my kids are going to have a place to sleep. It’s such a big stress off my shoulders.”