Wellington City Mission is ready to transform the approach to homelessness and community care in Te Whanganui a Tara with the launch of Whakamaru - a 24/7 community hub offering transitional housing, support services, and a welcoming space for all.
“It’s premised on the basis we need to treat people with dignity at all times – irrespective of their circumstances,” says Wellington city missioner (he manu taupua), Murray Edridge says.
The name Whakamaru means ‘to shelter, safeguard and protect’ - all guiding values for the project which has been six years in the making.
“It’s a community where there is no us and them.”
A blessing was led by mana whenua this week to mark the beginning of the community initiative.
Whakamaru’s services include long-term transitional housing, a community café, social supermarket, laundry amenities, toilet and shower suites, a 24/7 chapel, a medical centre, meeting rooms and 35 residential apartments.
“The café will actually operate 24/7 and in that way provide support, particularly for those struggling with challenges or mental health issues or complexity of life. And they can come here, have a coffee [and] meet with somebody who can understand their needs,” Edridge says.
“Just the idea that we can wrap ourselves around people and attend to the needs that are most prominent.”
Edridge says an estimated 150-200 people in Pōneke are homeless, with thousands of others invisible in the system.
Raymond McMahon (Ngāi Tūhoe), a mission client turned staff member, reflects on his time living on the streets of Whakatāne before moving to the Wellington region to seek employment.
“I’ve been working for the [Wellington City] Mission for about 11 years and it has really opened up my heart to serving the community and serving the people,” he says.
A chance meeting with a mission kaimahi led him to join as a client, which eventually opened the door to employment.
“I’ve seen a lot of people come and go and they actually inspired me to want to do something for them, because I learned from my own street experiences.”
Māori make up about 17 per cent of Aotearoa’s total population ut represent almost 30 per cent of the homeless population.
“It just saddens me to the point where I keep asking myself questions – why are they on the streets? Why are their families rejecting them? [When] I was on the streets I felt like I was rejected, and that type of pain just sunk into me real deep,” McMahon says.
“So the only thing I could do was find some sort of sanctuary, some safe haven.”
Mission community services director Pip Rea, says stories like McMahon’s bring life to Whakamaru.
“They are able to give back to the community and be that hope and [light] for others coming through into that space. So people like Raymond – they are what makes the mission the mission.”
Edridge highlights the significance of services like the social supermarket, especially for whānau who may feel whakamā of their circumstance.
“We can bring them into a place like this and they have the dignity of choice where they choose for themselves [what] they want at no cost.”
Rea says that having 24/7 services all in one place is ideal for whānau in need.
“You don’t want to [take] the extra energy to figure out which place you need to go to – [you] just wanna come to one place and know that [they] can connect you to what you need.”
The apartments will house individuals or families with support for wāhine, new mothers, families and 18-24 year-olds facing homelessness or unsafe housing.
Craig and Gail’s café will be the heart of the community hub, running on a ‘contribute-what-you-can’ model. The cafe is one of many services open to all (not only Whakamaru residents). Those unable to pay can enjoy a koha meal, while those who can contribute will help provide kai and companionship for others.
Staff will be present on site at all times - 24 hours of the day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Whakamaru’s doors will open to the public on November 18, with the first residents to move in during December.