What a decent home can change
After more than 30 years with Habitat for Humanity in New Zealand, Warren Jack reflects on what a safe home can make possible.
The Maunu Road public housing development in Whangārei now bears the name Warren Place, in honor of Warren Jack, former director of Habitat for Humanity Northern and one of the longest-serving figures in Habitat New Zealand. He has been part of the organization for more than three decades, first as a volunteer and board member, then as a staff member. Asked what it means to have a road named after him, he says he feels “both honored and humbled”.
Warren first got involved in November 1994, when Habitat for Humanity Manukau was still a fledgling organization. He was serving on a district-wide Church Property Committee when its chairman, who was also a founding director of the affiliate, urged him to get involved. He went along to a public meeting and, as he puts it, “became hooked”.
What drew him in was Habitat’s promise of “a hand-up and not a hand-out” for families living in unaffordable, overcrowded and substandard housing. Habitat, he says, also offered him a way of expressing his faith “by action rather than words”.
Housing affordability is an issue that confronts low-income families as well as many on ordinary incomes. Photo from Habitat for Humanity Northern’s FY25 annual report.
The housing crisis
Back then, the housing need in parts of New Zealand was stark. He remembers large suburbs of lower-value housing where overcrowding was common, homes were poorly maintained, and damp and mold were part of daily life. The consequences were illness, stress and exhaustion. Warren recalls “appalling health outcomes”, with asthma and rheumatic fever commonplace. Families were worn down. Parents felt overwhelmed. Some had simply “lost hope”.
Much has changed since the 1990s. Housing standards have improved, regulations have been tightened and the community housing sector has grown. But Warren is clear that the pressure has not gone away. Property values have soared. Housing affordability is now a major issue in New Zealand, not only for low-income families, but for many on ordinary incomes.
Population growth has added further strain, public housing waiting lists remain high, and overcrowding has not disappeared. Housing may be healthier than it once was, but decent, affordable housing is still out of reach for too many.
The moments that stay
What has stayed with him over all these years are not the big public moments, though there have been those too. He still remembers the thrill of Habitat’s successful 1999 attempt to break the world Speedbuild record, with more than 200 volunteers building a house in three hours, 44 minutes and 59 seconds. It was, he recalls, “lots of fun” and helped build public awareness and support.
But the stories he returns to are more personal than that.
He talks about one family who had been living in “substandard, unhealthy and overcrowded conditions” before moving into their permanent home. Afterwards, things began to shift in ways that went far beyond shelter. The mother went on to earn a university degree and became a teacher. The father, a community worker, was elected to a city council community board. Their daughter, who had ongoing ear infections in their old home, stopped having them after the move.
Then there is the woman who prepared a speech for the dedication of her home she had built alongside volunteers and staff from Habitat. She laminated the page beforehand, knowing the tears would come and not wanting them to blot the words. It is a small detail that lands harder than any broad statement about impact, reminding him that when people have spent years without stability, getting the keys to a decent home can be overwhelming.
After all the years of support, Warren believes in making a difference one family and one home at a time. Photos courtesy of Warren Jack.
What home means
Ask Warren what home means to him, and he does not ration the answer. “It is love, safety and security, assurance, support, friendship, comfort, protection, learning, joy, laughter, belonging, nurture, growth and memory-building.” That, really, is the heart of how he sees this work. A home is the foundation for better health, more confidence, stronger educational outcomes, and families feeling less battered by life. Or, as he puts it, “The impact on the families we serve is huge and is passed on inter-generationally.”
When asked what he is proudest of, he talks about legacy: helping build something the next generation can carry forward, helping shape an organization where people are valued, respected and work as a team.
His advice to younger staff and volunteers is just as direct: “Adopt its purpose and make it your purpose.” Even now, after all these years, he remains convinced that “you can make a difference one family and one home at a time”.