The dawn blessing at the opening of Te Wāhi Āwhina in 2021. Photo: Wellington City Council / Supplied
A community support space set up as part of an initiative to improve safety in Wellington city will shut its doors for the last time today.
Te Wāhi Āwhina on Manners Street was opened by Wellington City Council in 2021 as part of the 'Pōneke Promise' - a joint social contract between Greater Wellington Regional Council, the city's hospitality industry, retailers, and Police.
The government funding behind the hub - which aimed to make accessing social services easier - had ended.
Wellington City Council empowering communities manager Vondy Thornton said the council would continue to support vulnerable groups through partnerships with other agencies.
"This includes DCM Assertive Outreach, Community Law tenancy support and advice, and Wellington City Mission's Te Paa Maru - a Residential Alcohol Harm Reduction service," they said.
The council had opened two other community spaces since Te Wāhi Āwhina was set up: Te Pokapū Hāpori, also on Manners Street, and a new youth hub -Te Tai Ohinga - on Willis Street.
"While it's been open, Te Wāhi Āwhina has helped more than 2200 people, either with serious issues like finding accommodation, or just by offering a cup of tea and a chat with staff. "
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, which funded the centre, said its grant had already been extended in January until the end of the year to allow the council to develop its own housing/homelessness action plan, a spokesperson said.
"At the request of the Wellington City Council and as part of a broader programme of work to address homelessness in the region, HUD provided one-off grant funding to the council as a time-bound contribution to support the ongoing operation of the Te Wāhi Āwhina community service hub for up to one year."
About $273,000 of the $314,500 available had been used, the spokesperson said.
Homelessness still an issue in CBD - City Mission
Wellington City Mission was one of the community providers that was based in Te Wāhi Āwhina.
Missioner Murray Edridge said it was difficult to say whether the city had become safer since it had opened.
"Safety in the city is a really hard thing to measure, it tends to be measured on subjective bases such as 'how do people feel?' generally. Do people feel safe? Do people feel like the streets are a comfortable place for them to be?
"I know there are concerns in the city. There are people struggling with homelessness in the city, and we know people are homeless not because they run out of money but because they run out of relationships."
However, Edridge said it was clear the council was still focused on safety because there were new initiatives underway. He believed the most effective strategy was a collective approach between officials and community groups.
"Each contributes a little bit to the whole, and together we create an infrastructure for the community that's the most helpful it can be. So there are times when things will close, times when things will open, and I guess it's just being mindful - are we providing the best possible service for the people in the community that need us most?"
The City Mission recently opened a new community facility in Mount Cook, Whakamaru, which provided a raft of social services - including long-term transitional housing - while the Salvation Army had also opened a support space near Te Aro Park.
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