Matautu’s Story

An example of how Dwell works in partnership – this time with another housing provider.
Dwell tenant Matautu Ualesi works at Wellington hospital serving food to patients and taking around tea and coffee, while her husband also works at the hospital as a cleaner. Patients tell her she makes them happy with her friendly, smiling face.

Matautu came to Wellington from Samoa in June 1987 and initially lived with her uncle in Newtown. She met her husband Filipo at their church and they married in 1988. Matautu and Filipo rented from the city council for many years, with eventually Matuatu, Filipo, a teenage daughter, older daughter and granddaughter all living in a two-bedroom flat.

When the Adelaide Road houses were near completion, the trust approached the council to see if they had anyone in need of a transfer and Matautu and her family were put forward because of their overcrowding. With the move to their new home, their two-bedroom flat was freed up for another family in housing need.

The family are very happy with their new home and feel lucky to live there in comfortable surroundings with enough space for all of them. They also appreciate being close to church, work and school for the kids, and having a bus-stop right outside, and their church community is pleased for them too.