An artist's impression of the redeveloped Christchurch City Mission. Photo / Supplied
By Anan Zaki, of RNZ.
Transitional housing will be a key focus at Christchurch's redeveloped City Mission.
Work is under way on the $10 million project to upgrade its facilities on Hereford St in the central city.
City Missioner Matthew Mark said when completed, it would have a three-storey complex for transitional housing, accommodating 15 people.
He said without transitional homes, the success rate for people staying in permanent housing was about 50 per cent.
"Over the last couple of years, we've been trialling some transitional housing through units that we've had access to, and our success rate has gone to 80 per cent.
"We know that from a housing perspective it is a really big thing for us to be able to enhance the opportunity for people to be successful in maintaining housing."
The development will also have a larger cafe and catering operation.
"That's where our men and women are creating or crafting their skills, in real-life practical environments."
He said the current operation helped people get through internships and into work in the wider community - and the new facility would grow the work programme.
Another "exciting" part of the redeveloped facility would be a change in how Christchurch City Mission managed food support.
"Food poverty is a real issue in our community - so we're developing a social supermarket, which gives people that opportunity to be able to shop well in a supported environment," he said.
The work will be completed in two stages over two years.
Stage one will include the transitional housing, cafe and catering enterprises. Stage two will have an op shop, social supermarket and social worker support spaces.
Mark said the City Mission had secured about two-thirds of the funding needed for the project through the community and was still seeking support for the project.
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