Monday June 3, 2019

Auckland City now has available a completely refurbished hostel for housing homeless people and looking after its most vulnerable citizens.

For the last 50 years the James Liston Hostel in Freemans Bay has been a key organisation in the city centre that has provided emergency accommodation to Auckland’s homeless population. The James Liston Hostel was originally founded by the inner-city churches

and social service agencies in1968 as a Working Men’s Hostel,

Over time the hostel, operating with limited funding had fallen into bad disrepair to the point of having to shut down. In response to the urgency to save the Hostel, Chairperson Dame Diane Robertson, set up a team to lead the challenging project to engage diverse support to raise the money and get the job done to keep the doors open.

In September that year the James Liston Trust was awarded a $2 million grant to kick-start the project, based on the recognition by the Auckland Council Advisory Board of its vital role within the local community. A further $3 million has been raised to get the project to today’s celebration.

As well as offering a housing solution the Hostel is also a central network hub for community services provided by the many social services agencies that work with the homeless population in inner city Auckland.

Dame Diane Robertson says today’s opening marks a lot of hard work to transform a dilapidated old building into a modern and fit-for-purpose facility for up to 55 residents, staff and volunteers.

“The primary goal of the Hostel is to find long-term accommodation that is safe, affordable and sustainable. This refurbishment means we can achieve this and support our ethos of giving people who have the least, the best,” she said.

“It is gratifying to see the continuation of a 50 year commitment of social services working together in the inner city.”

“The new facility offers a better distribution of rooms and amenities, safer areas for clients and staff, dedicated communal areas and a learning centre for residents. The newly painted, bright interiors and unique touches in each room will give them a sense of ownership and help them transition in to permanent homes.”

Dame Diane said the Hostel was initially set up for men only. Now she said there’s a dedicated women’s wing, with swipe-cards for rooms, toilets and showers, and the shared common spaces that can be easily monitored by staff.

“People are taking care to clean their rooms, make their beds and put up photos of loved ones. The maximum stay for residents is twelve weeks with an expectation that permanent housing be provided as soon as possible. We hope this transformed facility will give

residents a sense of ownership and pride.”

Dame Diane says the challenge going forward will be to continue to generate funding to run the facility to provide and expand relevant services for people in need.”

The Trust will continue to honour its founding principles of providing and seeking housing solutions for people on the margins, supporting opportunities for permanent accommodation and settled lifestyles and its community services.

The James Liston Trust thanks in particular the following supporters who have provided funding and services.

Auckland City Advisory Board and Auckland Council

Foundation North

Sir Ernest Davis Hyam Estate

Ted &Mollie Carr Endowment Trust

Goodman Fielder Cares Trust

Dame Diane Robertson DNZM

John Dobrowolski

Peddle Thorp Architects

The staff and other volunteers

The James Liston Hostel was originally founded by the inner-city churches in1968 as a Working Men’s Hostel, but anticipating the growing need for emergency shelter, the Board of the Trust decided to change James Liston Hostel into an emergency housing provider.

James Liston’s community activities

Some of the social services provided for the homeless working from the Hostel hub include:

A WINZ clinic is held every Monday there with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) working with and supporting clients to access their benefits and other MSD products; The Presbyterian Northern Support budgeting service operates each Friday to help clients open a bank account and sort out their financial situation and ongoing every day budgeting. The Monthly meetings of The Auckland Rough Sleepers Initiative (City Mission, Lifewise, Housing New Zealand, New Zealand Prostitutes Collective, Housing First, Salvation Army, Te Puni Kokiri) are hosted monthly that discusses current trends and issues of the homeless community.

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