New funding for emergency housing in Auckland

James Liston Hostel will use the funds to increase capacity by five new beds to a total of 40 beds, allow for the provision of specialised rapid intake rooms, additional meeting and activity rooms and much needed renovations to the building itself.

Alongside a new operating model, the funding enables the potential for the hostel to transition approximately 238 people into permanent accommodation over the next two years through the hostel’s Housing First model. The model seeks to move clients through the hostel and into more permanent accommodation via a 12 week in-house support programme, followed by tenancy sustainment services.

James Liston Hostel board chairperson Dame Diane Robertson says that without this funding the hostel would be unable to continue to help homeless and rough sleepers transition to permanent housing.

“At this point in time the hostel’s ability to sustain positive outcomes for our clients is severely impacted by the current condition and capacity of our accommodation. So this investment is going to help us directly address these issues. More beds, better conditions and a more therapeutic setting will help us move people more quickly through our housing-first model, and with better results,” says Dame Robertson.

“We will be able to make the improvements with no impact on existing beds or service delivery during construction.”

In May this year the annual Auckland City Mission street count found 228 people sleeping rough within a 3km radius of the Sky Tower, up from 147 people recorded in October 2014.

The enhancement of services provided by the James Liston Hostel through this funding is supported by the Auckland homelessness sector, including the Auckland City Mission and Lifewise, alongside the Ministry of Social Housing and Housing New Zealand.

Read the press release here.