Salvation Army steps up housing and addictions help for families in Wellington

For immediate release

— Wellington, Monday 24 October 2016

The Salvation Army is celebrating new steps in helping homeless New Zealanders and families battling addiction in Wellington.

On Tuesday, 25 October, the Army is opening two new social housing units in Wellington and two refurbished homes for families seeking addiction help at an opening event, which will be attended by Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett.

The new social houses are the latest step in a plan to increase The Salvation Army’s housing support in Wellington Salvation Army Social Housing council chair, Lieutenant-Colonel Rod Carey says.

The tenants are also the first Salvation Army clients in Wellington to be supported by the government’s Income-Related Rent Subsidy and the Army worked with the government to find a tenant from the Ministry of Social Development Social Housing register.

The Army intends to work with the government to ensure more people in need of housing are supported by the subsidy in Wellington, Lt-Col Carey says.

‘The subsidy is really working for the tenants, bringing down their rent and helping vulnerable people access housing and support they badly need.’

He was grateful for Minister Bennett’s attendance, which recognised the good relationship the Army had working with the Ministry of Social Development on housing solutions.

The Salvation Army is also opening two refurbished homes for families seeking addiction help. The homes will provide families a space where the parents can receive addictions treatment and wrap-around services to help strengthen their parenting. The service is funded by the Capital and Coast District Health Board.

Director of The Salvation Army’s Wellington Bridge Addiction Services programme Cathy Milne-Rodrigues says the service offers an opportunity to parents who have not been able to have addictions treatment because of the need to look after their children. In addition to addictions treatment, the parents have the opportunity to attend parenting programmes and the children are enrolled in a nearby preschool or primary school. Having the children present and seeing them thrive gives the parents more determination and commitment to get clean, Cathy says.
‘It allows them to focus on their treatment knowing their children are well supported and gives them the opportunity to work through a treatment programme with parenting support.’

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