Housing trust faces cutbacks

Emergency housing workers (from left) Ange Tepania, Chrissy McLoughlin and Puawai Leuluai-Walker may be looking for new jobs soon. Photo / Supplied

A woman who has helped house needy families for the last 11 years may find herself on the benefit too if she is made redundant.

Chrissy McLoughlin, along with co-workers Ange Tepania and Puawai Leuluai-Walker, found out last Monday they would likely lose their jobs at the Tai Tokerau Emergency Housing Trust.

The trust, which has been struggling financially for years, helps house people who have no other place to go.

Ms McLoughlin, who does not have the financial assistance of a spouse, said she would have to go on the benefit if she lost her job.

While her position is technically housing co-ordinator, Ms McLoughlin has been a listening ear and shoulder to cry on for many people over the years and was a founding member of the trust.

"They have all sorts of problems and we're there to support them and listen," Ms McLoughlin said.

Ms Tepania said there was some indication they may be made redundant but they were holding out hope it would not be the case.

"We [the trust] have been struggling for a long time," Ms Tepania said.

The trust operates with no government assistance, though agencies such as Winz and the Department of Corrections regularly refer clients there.

While the trust has reserved the final decision for a meeting next Thursday, Ms Tepania does not expect they will be able to keep their positions.

It is expected the trust will close over Christmas, the busiest period of the year, and re-open in the new year with one new combined position.

There are shelters and Women's Refuges but no other emergency housing in Whangarei that allows people to stay for up to six weeks while they organise permanent accommodation.

Many clients are victims of domestic violence who cannot be housed at the shelter or have moved from a different area to escape their partners.

Chairman of the trust, Adrian Whale, said it is not financially sustainable for the trust to continue going as it is and it needs an injection of $50,000 to keep from making any staffing cuts.

"I've been losing sleep," Mr Whale said. "I keep hoping for a guy on a silver horse to come and help us out."

Until three years ago the Ministry of Social Development gave the trust an annual grant of around $20,000.

In the year to June 2014 the trust had 149 applications to rent a room in either the self-contained family units at Raumanga or the single men's facility in Regent, and had to turn down 48 applications due to lack of room.