Mandy's story

Mandy, a mum with four children, came into Monte emergency housing in April 2018. She had been living with her sister, brother-in-law and their four children, in a three-bedroom house in Mangere since October 2017. Overcrowding was an issue. The reason Mandy found herself in this position was due to the breakup of her marriage.

Mandy is a qualified ECE teacher and is wanting full time work but was unsure where to apply because of her housing situation being so unstable. 

All of Mandy’s children are attending school and doing well, and she has worked hard to ensure they keep a regular routine and continue to go to the same school, despite being in Emergency Housing for the last 3+ months. Each child has dreams and aspirations. Her 18-year-old son is into performing arts and attends a course in New Lynn at XL. His class mates have gone on trips overseas to perform in the US but he could not go, due to Mandy’s inability to support him financially.  Her next son is 17 and plays rugby at school. Her 13-year-old daughter wants to play netball and she wants to be a teacher. Mandy’s 10 year old daughter is a talented singer and loves to sing but ultimately wants to be a doctor. 

*Not her real name