Nelson homeless shelter to close after 35 years

PHOTO: (File image) Photo: RNZ / Luke McPake

An emergency accommodation provider in Nelson is shutting its doors, after more than three decades supporting the city’s homeless men.

The Nelson Night Shelter Trust was set up by All Saints Anglican Church and St Vincent de Paul Society in 1986.

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Trust co-chair Sarah Thompson said the difficult decision to close was made after several external reviews as well as increasing legislative and health and safety requirements.

“It’s been a really, really tough process because it has been such a great service that we’ve operated for over 35 years, but we’ve recently been working with Housing First, which is an international evidence-based initiative that provides accommodation, but more importantly, wraparound support to people experiencing homelessness.”

The Housing First programme was launched in the top of the South Island in 2019 and is run jointly by the Salvation Army, healthcare provider Te Piki Oranga, and support and advocacy network The Male Room.

The shelter, on Vangaurd Street in central Nelson, can house eight men but is currently being used by between four to six men each night.