Memphis Robson-Frentz owns Aroha House, previously known as Arthouse Backpackers. Photo / Cira Olivier
A woman has transformed her backpackers into emergency housing for families with children only.
She has brightly painted the walls, decorated rooms and created a sense of community.
Memphis Robson-Frentz described a desire to help those caught out by the housing crisis after being forced to turn to emergency housing when the borders shut.
She did not plan to open the business back up for tourists despite it being easier work - emotionally and physically - as she couldn't "unsee or un-hear" the stories of those she met.
Arthouse Backpacker's name will be changed to Aroha House and have wrap-around support from several external agencies, including Māori Wardens, Waiariki Whānau Mentoring and Ngāti Ranginui.
"You can't just provide a room and a key ... that's not going to sort out what's going on in their lives."
A Memorandum of Understanding with Ngāti Ranginui will soon be signed; the relationship would mean they provided social support and she could provide accommodation to their people.
There were 13 rooms at the facility, 12 of which would be used for emergency housing.
One room, still being refurbished, would be a teaching space for life classes, like budget advice, parenting or meditation, which was still being done up.
The facility refurbishments had been delayed because of Covid, but she allowed people to move into the finished rooms earlier as there was a high need, she said.
Also an artist, Robson-Frentz painted the rooms with family with bright colours and graphics, with positive affirmations around the facility.
Some rooms had bunks and double beds, and she said there was the flexibility to move things around depending on the families coming in.
The 12 rooms could fit up to 40 people with one family per room, and there were 20 people in there at the moment.
Each room had a TV and a small fridge but there were shared facilities like the kitchen with multiple fridges, a dining, living room and bathroom.
She put up an advertisement on social media about available spaces and received 50 inquiries within 24 hours.
The backpackers originally catered to RSE workers and tourists which changed in 2020 when Covid-19 arrived and the borders shut.
She had to make all seven staff redundant and said there was a lot of uncertainty.
She made the call to move to emergency housing despite knowing the "layers of problems" that came with it as she needed an income.
She focused on single people due to the set-up of the backpackers and said it was months of "chaos".
She said the people had high needs, some had mental health issues or were straight out of hospital, some were violent and there was a raft of drug issues despite the fact that it was not allowed on site.
She found many of the people were using it as a "crash pad" after getting high or drunk, and there was a lot of verbal abuse and threatening behaviour.
Robson-Frentz was introduced to the Māori Wardens to help out and she decided to shut the facility at the end of last year as she was exhausted.
One of the wardens, Sophie Te Moni, is now her "right-hand girl" and helps run the place.
"On a good day, it's a complex business to run."
Robson-Frentz decided to repurpose it into a space for families as she noticed single parents were isolated in their homelessness and struggled to be in motels with a range of people and issues around them.
She's had mums living in their cars with children as young as newborns and mums running away from violence, on the street with their kids.
She said homelessness was complex and stressful, and there were many reasons people were in that situation.
The space would only be for those with children.
"They want to provide a safe place for their children but there's nowhere for them to be."
She believed in providing a sense of community and said people needed support, especially when they're homeless.
She said they needed to feel connected and in a community, which was what she believed the community living helped with.
Robson-Frentz had been working 70 hours a week and spent her own money to support the families if needed.
"If kids need some toys or they need some food, I'm not, not going to get it for them."
"There are days when I go home and think 'what the hell am I doing?'"
Despite borders opening up and admitting it was emotionally draining work, she would not open back up for tourists.
"I can't unsee and un-hear the stories I've heard of people's lives and how hard it's been for some of them.
"I'd rather be part of a positive solution than go back to what I was doing before."
One example was with a young pregnant woman with a little girl who came into the accommodation at the end of last year until last month and is now in transitional housing.
Robson-Frentz said her story was "horrendous" but she "blossomed" in the Aroha House environment.
"The late-night korero over coffee, the laughs, the tears, the sharing, and the support.
She felt she wasn't on her own and that people cared about her."
The rooms were between $1000 and $2000 per week, paid for with the Emergency Housing Special Needs Grants, which she said was the market rate plus a premium.
She said this was "necessary" because of leases, overheads costing $50,000 per month, security costing $20,000 per month, damages, rates, water, insurance and constant repairs.
She has four full-time night shift staff and two-part time night shift staff, all of which were security.
She would get 24/7 security once the accommodation was full as the extra money could fund it.
"It's a double-edged sword, I need the people in the rooms to be able to provide it all."
She said the neighbours struggled with the behaviour issues caused by some of the people last year and said it still "wasn't perfect".
She also leased a house in Cherrywood which she was hoping to buy, revamp and turn into emergency housing for those coming out of the hospital or with mental health issues.
She also had a block of apartments that could house two families and singles.
Across the three sites, up to 70 people could be housed at once.
Robson-Frentz hoped to get funding for 24/7 staff as well as funding for the facilities she provided to lower the costs of the rooms, but she was unsure how to get it.
Ministry of Social Development Bay of Plenty Regional Commissioner Mike Bryant said it has had recent discussions with ArtHouse about the preference to help whānau.
He said it was "grateful" for the service Robson-Frentz provided and MSD would continue to support the whānau staying there with case managers, housing navigators and other support services they may need.
"It's extremely important to us that whānau, particularly those with tamariki, aren't left to sleep rough or in cars.
"MSD will continue to support all suitable providers and organisations that are willing to help those with an urgent housing need."
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