The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has engaged De Paul House (DPH), an emergency housing service provider on Auckland’s North Shore, to run a newly-built 12-unit Kainga Ora property at Narrow Neck.
Bishop Gielen blesses one of the units.
The property was blessed by Auckland Auxiliary Bishop Michael Gielen on the morning of July 8. Each unit features double-glazed windows and heaters, is north-facing and has two bedrooms.
DPH board chairperson Brendan Fitzgerald said the venture is an excellent example of how central Government and community-based service providers can “work together to improve the prospects of vulnerable families”.
“For De Paul House, our commitment to ensuring success is to provide, as is our practice, essential wrap-around social services that ensure a safe and secure environment for vulnerable families, which will enable them to transition into a better, more stable, and independent future. It is that hope and aspiration that De Paul House is able to bring to the table,” he said.
DPH general manager Jan Rutledge said that they have a three-year contract with a right of renewal.
She added that, among the special values that they bring to the table, are the community connections they have through the parishes.
Ms Rutledge cited, as an example, Kathleen Petrie, a DPH board of trustees member, who is connected to St Leo’s School in Devonport, as well as to the St Vincent de Paul group at her church.
“She can see opportunities there with the foodbank and things like that. So, the value of De Paul House is those shared Catholic connections, really, and general community connections as well,” Ms Rutledge explained.
She said they hope to take clients in at the Narrow Neck site next month, when the place is fully furnished and staffed.
Ms Rutledge said they were working with The Warehouse on the furnishings. “[There was] . . . a bit of an issue because the pandemic has affected the supply lines,” she said.
She said one of the units will be used as the office, while another is for clients who need accessibility.
Ms Rutledge said the new property will help ease their need for emergency housing.
“We manage a wait-list which is very flexible, because it’s hard to be wait-listed when you’re homeless. Our wait-list varies between 50-70 families. So, it’s pretty tough out there,” she said.
She noted that, currently, there are motels that are supporting homeless people, but added that that situation is not suitable.
“It doesn’t work. People need support when they are in distress, and a motel room is not adequate,” she stated.
Ms Rutledge said DPH finds that they are now housing families longer than their usual 12-week contract “because of the housing situation”.
The Social Housing Registry was up to 23,688 as of March, 2021, up by 45.3 per cent from the same time last year. The Social Housing Registry is a wait-list of applicants who are not currently in public housing, but who have been assessed to be eligible for public housing.
“At the moment, our turn-over is about 22 weeks. And in Warkworth, it’s more extended because there’s just no [social housing]. So, they tend to stay with us for one year plus,” she said.
Ms Rutledge said they have ten properties in Warkworth, with another three coming online.
She added that DPH has 40 properties across northern Auckland at present, but they hope to double their capacity by the end of the year.
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