Tauranga City Council has approved funding for the city's new centre for homeless women, Awhina House.

Forty thousand dollars will go to the center being set up by He Kaupapa Kotahitanga Trust Tauranga.

Councillors say establishing the centre is well overdue and it complements others in the city.

Since opening its doors, the centre has had a setback.

It was burgled around January 17, but it wasn't discovered until later.

Trust chairwoman Angela Wallace says items gifted to the centre were stolen.

'It included a washing machine, lawn mower, weed eater, power tools and garden equipment, such as a spade and fork.

'People have donated money to help cover our one thousand dollars insurance excess fee,” says Angela.

'We are in the process of replacing everything though the insurance claim.

'We are blown away by the generosity of the community, we now have enough to cover the insurance excess and a little bit extra.”

Angela says some business have come on board as well donating money and furniture.

She says they are aiming to open their doors next month, but a date hasn't been finalised yet.

'We know that every day we are not open, that's the day when women are sleeping rough or sleeping in their cars, so we are very motivated to open as soon as we can,” says Angela.

'We want to make sure we are ready and that it's safe for our women come here and be nurtured and supported into permanent long term housing.”