Ready for the city’s homeless

The beds are being made and a final broom is sweeping clean as Tauranga's first dedicated night shelter for the homeless prepares to open its doors.

On September 8 the Tauranga Moana Night Shelter will be formally blessed and opened at the former Youth Hostel Association buildings in lower Elizabeth Street.

Tauranga Moana Night Shelter manager Annamarie Angus. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Tauranga City Council earlier this year approved plans to convert the council-owned premises into a shelter to be managed by the Tauranga Moana Night Shelter Trust.

Since then the Trust has worked tirelessly to customise the building for Tauranga's homeless and appointed a team of staff including a manager, two ‘house parents', an overnight supervisor, and part-funding a full-time social worker.

The shelter's manager Annamarie Angus says anyone will be able to walk in and register between 4 and 8pm daily.

All facilities will be available to those on overnight stays, but they must leave by 9am the following day.

'The nightshelter is a short term emergency shelter for people currently displaced,” says Annamarie.

'There will be some food staples here but they [the guests] will be responsible for providing their own meals and cook and clean.”

Forming alliances with organisations including the Good Neighbour Trust, the shelter will be able to build up a basic stock of food including canned goods, bread and breakfast cereals.

A vegetable garden will also be planted by guests of the nightshelter to help provide fresh produce.

Annamarie says a guest is able to stay longer than a night if they are engaging with nightshelter activities – planting vegetables – or meeting with social worker Gary Hinton.

'If people are coming very regularly like longer than two or three days then we will be encouraging them to be engage with the wrap around services the trust will provide like engaging with the social worker.”

Annamarie, a former Tauranga Community Housing Trust support worker, says the position is a perfect fit for her and her passions.

'My passion is working with people and particularly disadvantaged people in the community so this position allows me to meet people and work with a number of my skills.”

Tauranga Moana Night Shelter secretary Mike Mills says everything is coming together in time for the September 8 opening.

Initial visions of catering primarily for the 'streeties” are being surpassed, with Mike fielding calls from various agencies including social workers, mental health and the Department of Corrections.

The night shelter at Elizabeth Street will initially be a men-only facility as this is where there is the greatest need. It will cater for about 15-20 homeless people per night.

'What we are finding already is enquires from agencies that are dealing with homeless who are sleeping in cars, and sleeping in overcrowded situations.

'We are going to find that we are very quickly going to reach our ideal sort of capacity.”

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12 comments

Need or greed not easy to manage

Posted on 27-08-2014 08:35 | By Murray.Guy

The plight of those effectively deserted by the 'system, the State', with significant health issues beyond their control, that subsequently find themselves having slipped through the cracks, alone and homeless will, without doubt benefit from the provision of this service and rightly so. Whenever goods or services are provided on a no cost or near to it basis, the need always escalates as greed, the 'users and abusers' identify opportunities to take advantage. 'Food banks will never run out of customers'!


_

Posted on 27-08-2014 09:44 | By Spacenight

Cool! Now they can get drunk all summer, rent free!


Just a question or 2 or 3!!!

Posted on 27-08-2014 11:24 | By Sambo Returns

is there a cost to stay overnight?, and if so what is it?, and if it is not paid what happens?, and how much per annum is it costing T.C.C?, and is there a break even point?, or no business structure at all?.


Homeless

Posted on 27-08-2014 17:07 | By YOGI BEAR

For a single night? Not likely, it is more of a permanent thing so the plan does not fit the needs I guess. Anyway looks to be rent free for any staying there, but someone is paying and that means TCC ratepayers.


need to contact

Posted on 27-08-2014 17:10 | By lpm67

Does anyone have contact details for them...I cant seem to get a phone number and our refuge is overflowing!


About Time

Posted on 27-08-2014 17:11 | By Capt_Kaveman

every city in nz has one, this been only the start, but i guess they will be fully complete once they pass their 1st year


Charitable Trusts

Posted on 27-08-2014 17:51 | By Missymoo

I don't think Charities are funded by TCC.


Missymoo, Land for free

Posted on 27-08-2014 22:58 | By Murray.Guy

Missymoo, the ratepayers are providing the land for free, about a million dollars worth! Mayor Crosby is Patron. Ratepayers contribute $hundreds of thousands annually to selected charities.


Overit

Posted on 29-08-2014 18:42 | By overit

I am sure once the word gets out it will be overflowing.


cost of shelter

Posted on 31-08-2014 07:02 | By freedomkiwis

I can't believe the cost for the night shelter is $15 a night. This is like a tent at a motor camp on a site. It's ridiculous. I thought this place was set up to help people. It's already been said that its a temporary option, so why so expensive. Just as a comparison.....if someone had a van they made self contained, they could stay at various places around the country for $7 a night. The night shelter is obviously still not there for those in real need. Do other shelters around the country charge, or are they funded by charitable trusts. I think it's appalling.


Whats wrong with helping people?

Posted on 31-08-2014 10:01 | By Conzar

The comments on here are extremely harsh. It our responsibility as a society to help those in need. Look no further to the USA for what happens when you do not take care of your people. Everyday, people are murdered because the criminals have no regard for life. They don't have any regard for life because society left them with nothing and no way to escape poverty.


Conzar

Posted on 31-08-2014 12:47 | By YOGI BEAR

You help those who want to help themselves, in this case the majority "chose to be homeless" so not a lot of help required for them really. Some do need help and that is a handful at best, a one night stay will not do it.


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