Community for homeless taking shape
A colourful cabin community is about to put roofs over the heads of some of Nelson’s homeless.
With corrugated iron exteriors in bright colours, the eight cabins, ablutions block and communal whare are close to completion. The project is a collaboration between Habitat For Humanity, the Salvation Army, which leads Housing First, and Victory Community Anglican Church, which owns the land.
Habitat for Humanity Nelson general manager Nick Clarke said the development was effectively ‘‘a relocatable village’’ where people selected by Housing First could go into the next stage of their housing journey.
Clarke said the church had made the land available for about three years for the pilot project. Habitat For Humanity provided all the hard structure for the eight cabins, which were ‘‘ply-lined, very well insulated, and dry and comfortable’’.
Furnished with a bed, desk, chair and lazy chair, each cabin was of a generous size and had double french doors, lots of light, and good heating, Clarke said.
The complex includes a communal whare – a kitchen and dining area with a deck – and an ablutions block, including a laundry.
Those moving in would have experienced homelessness for over 12 months – they could be living in a car or a tent, or couch surfing, Clarke said.
Housing First team leader Jaap Noteboom said it had placed 45 people into social housing since the beginning of the pandemic, but there were an additional 60 people staying in motels who wanted their own place.
Noteboom said that because of the housing crisis, homes weren’t being built fast enough for the number of people who needed them.
The cabins would serve as transitional housing while people waited for social housing to become available, he said.
The idea for the cabin village came from an existing community in Carterton, and the decision to build something similar in Nelson was because the dwellings were easy, cheap and quick to construct.
Having the cabins as part of a community meant that those living there could form their own support network, coming together to cook meals and hang out, Noteboom said.
In addition, Housing First offered a ‘‘wraparound service’’ – assistance with ‘‘whatever was needed to get someone’s life back on track’’, such as help with mental health, relationships, addictions, budget services, or employment.
Noteboom said he hoped that the cabins would be a positive step towards people finding a forever home, but also long-term wellbeing.
The cabins are expected to be completed around the beginning of December, with the first tenants moving in before Christmas.