Social housing provider Whatever It Takes Trust opens new homes in Napier - but still not enough to cater for homeless

NASC Hawke's Bay Mental Health Needs Assessment Service co-ordinator Arita Sheridan (left), WIT Trust chief executive Caroline Lampp and resident Elizabeth Turi speak at the official opening of a WIT social housing complex on Roberts Terrace, Napier. Photo / Duncan Brown

A trust set up as a small social services provider 18 years ago has opened a $2.85 million housing block, but is already wondering how to house at least 60 more people in urgent need of homes.

The 10-unit block of single-storey and mainly single-bedroom homes has been built in Napier by the Whatever It Takes Trust (WIT) in Roberts Tce, Onekawa. For about 50 years it was the site of a row of two-storey state housing units which faced onto a reserve off Morris Spence Ave.

The former housing was removed in a National government and Housing New Zealand purge which resulted in 33 of the blocks, comprising 96 units, disappear from the Maraenui and Onekawa area.

WIT, the biggest non-government provider of social housing in Hawke's Bay, helps people having difficulty obtaining suitable safe, warm and affordable housing, many of whom also need 24-hour care or support. As a result of the new development, WIT now has 65 properties for client housing in Hawke's Bay.

The new homes are for long-term tenancy.

After yesterday's ceremony, trust general manager Caroline Lampp said similar housing was needed urgently for 27 of its clients currently in "transitional accommodation" at motels or former motels. An outreach centre run by the trust has at least 30 regulars who are "couch-surfing," or living in friends' sheds and garages.

"The need has grown dramatically in recent years because houses in the marketplace and rents have become unaffordable for people on lower wages or benefits," she said, saying problems caused by the removal of the state housing units during the past years had caused damage which would take years to repair.

"We are planning on building more units, but it's entirely dependent on how we can finance them," she said. "After all, we are a service provider, and we don't have a lot of capital."

Support from the Bank of New Zealand, Ministry of Social Development, and the trust's board was recognised in last week's ceremony.

The operator of 10-unit Kahukura, built off Riverbend Rd in the rural southern outskirts of Napier, WIT started looking just 18 months ago at a social housing initiative for long-term tenancy, having become a registered social housing provider "to enhance our service to provide clients with affordable, safe housing".

"It's there for life if they need it," she said. "This is part of our effort to assist people, particularly with mental health or other issues."

Trustee Ewan Gardiner was involved as an accountant when WIT was formed in 2000. "It was a small group trying to help. We realised then there was a need for housing even when we started."

The trust initially rented sites to provide homes for its clients, but the increasing need meant it "made sense to look at buying".

Residents of the new block started moving in last month, and one said yesterday: "I was living in a caravan. I went to the hospice, and they said 'you are not staying in a caravan'. This is great."