PHOTO: DEBBIE JAMIESON/STUFF Amy and Banjo Balila are the first couple to move into a Secure Home, under a pilot programme set up by the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust.
A Queenstown couple had almost given up on the idea of owning their own home in New Zealand’s most expensive town, but a new programme has helped them realise their dream.
Amy and Banjo Balila are familiar faces around Queenstown, as Amy works at a local bank and Banjo runs the customer service team at Pak ‘n Save.
They have lived in Queenstown for 13 years and have an 8-year-old son.
Finding suitable housing had not been easy though, with Queenstown’s median house price of $1 million making it the most expensive place to live in the country. The average rent for a three-bedroom house is also high, hitting about $750 a week.
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