The true meaning of a healthy home
Each and every one of us deserve to have our foundational needs upheld so we can build the life we want for ourselves and our whānau — this starts with a warm, dry, healthy home.
However, right now, our homes (both old and new) are failing us, particularly our tamariki.
Our minimum standard approach to building homes has led to cold, draughty, damp homes, throughout Aotearoa — and we are still building these today under the current building code.
In 2020, UN special rapporteur on adequate housing Leilani Farha declared this situation "not actually a housing crisis – it's a human rights crisis," and the statistics paint a devastating picture.
The human cost is staggering. According to the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ, one in five New Zealanders lives with respiratory disease, making it our third most common cause of death. Our children are particularly vulnerable — one in eight suffers from asthma. The 2023 census revealed that over 223,959 occupied private dwellings reported significant mould problems. Even more troubling, a 2017 study in Aotearoa found that children hospitalised due to poor housing conditions face twice the risk of re-hospitalisation and three times the risk of death compared to others.
The financial burden is equally severe. As of 2019, poor housing conditions contributed to an estimated $145 million annually in preventable healthcare expenses. When considering respiratory diseases alone, the cost to our country reaches $8.4 billion each year.
Yet, there's hope in solution-focused approaches: 2024 data from the Healthy Homes Initiative shows that five years after intervention (such as insulation, curtains, heating sources, etc.), hospitalisation rates reduced by 18.6%, with a 5% reduction in school absence for illness amongst participants — and for every dollar invested, five dollars were saved in healthcare and social costs.
However, adding insulation, curtains and heat pumps only goes so far. We need to get it right from the start by rethinking the way we design and build homes, and building to a quality standard that prioritises health.
What makes a home truly healthy?
A truly healthy home does more than just keep the rain out. It creates an environment where your family can thrive, maintaining ideal temperatures and exceptional air quality while keeping your energy bills surprisingly low. It's about creating a space that works in harmony with both the needs of your whānau and our natural environment.
Think of your home as an orchestra rather than a solo performer. Just as a symphony requires multiple instruments playing in perfect harmony, a healthy home needs several key systems working together seamlessly. At the heart of this performance are three crucial elements:
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Imagine your home wearing a perfectly fitted coat. This is what we call an airtight building envelope. It’s achieved through high-performance windows and doors, insulation to a very high standard, and careful attention to eliminating thermal bridges (places where heat can escape). We verify this through multiple blower door tests during construction, ensuring your home's 'coat' fits just right.
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Your home needs to breathe — but in a controlled way. This is where mechanical ventilation with heat recovery comes in. Operating quietly in the background 24 hours a day, this system maintains consistent air temperatures while filtering out chemicals, carbon dioxide, and pollutants. It's like having a guardian that continuously protects your indoor air quality.
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Before a single nail is hammered, we use sophisticated energy modelling at the design stage. Investing in modelling at this stage ensures all components work together to meet the World Health Organisation's Housing and Health Guidelines — because we believe these international standards, not just our local building code, should be the benchmark for your family's health.
James and Eva’s home on a native bush block in Pāuatahanui.
A Wellington family's journey to better health
The benefits of this approach extend far beyond comfort. James and Eva live in the first Toa Home, and within weeks of moving in they started feeling the health benefits.
James grew up in what he calls a "nice house" but struggled with persistent health issues. "I spent years flatting in Dunedin, and then later in Wellington, always dealing with cold, damp conditions," James recalls. "When Eva and I started thinking about building our own home, especially with our daughter on the way, we knew we wanted something completely different."
Their journey led them to create a home that achieved exceptional performance standards, with a blower door test result of 0.5 — but the real proof came in the lived experience. James, who had struggled with asthma and hayfever, saw a significant improvement to his breathing, while their baby daughter thrived in the consistently warm, dry environment. "Apart from normal teething, she hasn't been sick once since we moved in," James shares, six months after moving into their new home.
“Home means safety, security, and respite. This house gives us all of that, while also allowing us to live in a way that contributes to a better future for our daughter.”
This kind of transformation isn't unusual. Research shows that families living in truly healthy homes can see their annual healthcare costs reduced by up to 45%. Why? Because the air is free from allergens, mould, pollutants, and particles that cause respiratory illnesses and spread viruses.
Maintaining consistent temperatures between 18-22°C also reduces stress on our cardiovascular systems, which is particularly important for children, elderly whānau members, and those with chronic illnesses.
Your wallet benefits too. Thanks to the combination of airtightness and heat recovery, many families see up to 90% savings in heating and cooling costs. For James and Eva, their home maintains comfortable temperatures with minimal energy input, while constant fresh air circulation means they never have to choose between warmth and fresh air — they have both, all the time.
Building for future generations
At Toa Homes, our vision extends beyond individual whare. We carefully select materials and design our supply chain to minimise carbon emissions, petrochemicals, and embodied carbon. Our build process aims for minimal waste, with each home designed to be carbon negative. By using recycled, non-toxic, and durable materials, we're creating homes designed to last over a century — a valuable taonga for future generations.
A healthy home isn't just a building, it's a fundamental human right and an investment in our collective future. When we see foundational needs as non-negotiable in the way we build and maintain our homes, we can truly start to lay the foundations for multi-generational health and rebuild the wellbeing, prosperity and mana of the people of Aotearoa.
It's time for government, developers, and homeowners to think beyond minimum standards and embrace an outcome-based approach that puts health first. Only then can we ensure that every whānau has the opportunity to thrive, not just survive, while honouring our responsibility to the environment that sustains us all.
