Residence for homeless women to be established in Wellington

Tuesday, March 12th, 2013

The Wellington Homeless Women’s project, an initiative of four women – three religious, Srs Raye Boyle, Catherine Hannan, and Marcellin Wilson and Newtown lay pastoral leader Karen Holland, lead to the establishment of The Wellington Homeless Women’s Trust which recently announced that it has been able to secure a 2 year lease from 19 April 2013 for accommodation in Wellington City.

Five of the rooms will be used by women who need accommodation and one room will be put aside for the use of the House Manager (whom the Trust is in the process of recruiting), to carry out her duties.

The accommodation will be communal living in a women-only space which offers support for them to adjust to the differing situations they are facing which have caused them to be homeless. The women will also be offered help to access other available services which includes support to gain more permanent housing and to meet some of their own personal needs.

Figures show acute homelessness – people living on the streets – rose sharply in Wellington last year, with support agencies blaming a lack of cheap permanent accommodation.

Mike Leon, who is a member of the Wellington Homeless Women’s Trust, said homeless men could find a bed at the Wellington night shelter but there were few options for women.

”Prior to this the only realistic option was the Wellington women’s boarding house. They have two beds (for emergency accommodation) and they are usually full.”

Mr Leon also runs the men’s shelter and said women were sometimes dropped off there by police or health workers.

The trust, which is chaired by Rongotai Labour MP Annette King, raised $200,000, mostly through religious organisation, to run the home for two years.

Donations to the trust can be made to Sister Marcellin Wilson ,1 5 Guilford Terrace, Thorndon Wellington, who is the treasurer of the Trust.

Source