push for benefits boost in Budget 2021
The marae was thrown into the spotlight five years ago as it opened its doors to help dozens of homeless whānau.
It is still helping vulnerable families, as a transitional housing provider, giving them a place to live and wraparound support as they wait for a permanent home.
Out the back of Te Puea Marae, behind the wharekai, are five portable cabins. The cabins are basic - a couple of beds, a kitchenette, and a small bathroom. There is a shared kitchen and whānau room as well.
"They're pretty basic but they actually served a purpose. So a mum and her 17-year-old daughter are moving in this afternoon," said Kaiawhina Whitiao Paul.
She said most of the whānau who arrived at the marae had come from emergency housing in motels, but as the housing crisis continued to bite, things did not seem to be getting easier - and a report last week showed more than a third of children were living in unaffordable housing.
Link to article: Te Puea Marae whānau push for benefits boost in Budget 2021 | RNZ News
