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Entertainment | Auckland City Mission

Homes for the homeless set to roll out next year

The Auckland City Mission is for the first time working with organisations like Housing First to provide homes for families in need. The initiative also includes charity organisations like Life wise and Vision West.

It's the first Christmas for Chris Farrelly at the helm of Auckland City Mission and he's getting stuck in to help thousands of Auckland's needy.

Auckland City Mission CEO Chris Farrelly says, “I feel I've been hit in the guts, by genuinely not just seeing people in high and desperate need, but actually meeting them. On the other hand, I feel so proud to be a New Zealander because Kiwi's are responding to this terrible sadness in our community.”

For the last three weeks over 1000 people have lined up outside Auckland's City Mission to receive Christmas food parcel and presents. The extent of need is disturbing to Chris, who says this must be changed.

“Auckland City Mission along with a number of organisations such as Vision West and Life wise and The Wise Group are working collectively now around what we call Housing First.  Working to provide permanent homes and then wrap around support services.”

In October, Auckland City Mission and Life wise submitted a joint application for funding to the Ministry of Social Development Housing First fund, which has been signed off.

“Next year a number of us a working alongside the government to actually implement Housing First in New Zealand where we will take our longest term, our most chronic, our most desperate homeless and provide them with a home.”

However, the priority now for Chris and 600 volunteers is preparing to Christmas lunch for approximately 2000 people, held at Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland.