Funding boost to house the city's homeless

Chris Farrelly and Jennifer Gill outside the Auckland City Mission. Photo / Supplied

A $10m grant has brought the Auckland City Mission one step closer to fulfilling its dreams of providing new homes for the city's homeless.

The financial boost from Foundation North, an organisation which holds $1b in trust for Auckland and Northland communities, means the mission now has more than half the $76m required to revamp its current facilities.

The multi-million dollar project, Mission HomeGround, announced at the end of August, would see 80 new studio and one-bedroom units built on the Auckland City Mission's current site.

As well as new homes it would also see a range of additional services on site, including a health care centre, an expanded detox facility, community cafe, rooftop garden and other community facilities.

Foundation North chief executive Jennifer Gills said it was a pleasure to give its largest grant ever, towards an organisation with a "distinguished history of service to our region".

"Mission HomeGround will create a community hub for Auckland in one of the most densely populated areas in New Zealand where there are high levels of deprivation and few facilities available."

She said this grant would help ensure the city mission would have the capacity required to serve Auckland's inner city as its population grows over the next decade.

Chris Farrelly and Jennifer Gill pore over the project plans. Photo / Supplied

City Missioner Chris Farrelly expressed his gratitude to the foundation for its support.

"This truly significant grant demonstrates clearly that we share a common vision for the wellbeing of the people of Auckland," he said.

"The grant is underpinned by a vision that as a community together we will end homelessness and provide support services to those in our community and neighbourhood who have the greatest needs."

The grant together with the Ministry of Social Development's $18m pledge towards the building of the project, combined with the Auckland City Mission's $18m contribution means the balance required for the project is $30m.

Public fundraising of this balance will begin next year.

12 months at the Auckland City Mission

• 13,000 emergency food parcels distributed to families in desperate need
• 44,079 visits to our Homeless Community Drop-In Centre
• 14 regular activities offered in our Homeless Activity Programme
• 230 emergency housing assessments completed
• 2,274 Homeless outreach contacts
• 128 homeless people housed
• 177 isolated elderly assisted
• 10,309 consultations at our health centre
• 821 drug and alcohol assessments
• 393 admissions to our residential drug & alcohol centre
• $1.74 m worth of food distributed via Foodlink and through our Crisis Care services
• 47 other community organisations supported with food