Western Bay women who have been living in cars or taxpayer-funded motel units are now receiving the help they need to transition from homelessness to independence thanks to Awhina House.

The women's shelter opened its doors last month and is already making a huge difference in the daily lives of several ‘guests'.

Awhina House manager Angela Wallace says one woman recently described the shelter as her 'safe place” and the group is beginning to bond and enjoy a proper home life including home-cooked meals.

'Women are coming here and transformation is happening. We all have dinner together every night and they're all contributing to keeping the place clean, mowing the lawns and growing vegetables in the garden. They're all doing really well and making progress. They're engaged with what we're offering which is great to see.”

Awhina House can house up to 12 women at a time, and provides support to help them get back on their feet and ultimately find their own accommodation.

All women will receive advice from Tauranga's Budgeting Service, and a positive lifestyle programme offered by the Salvation Army is proving popular. Staff are also teaching women how to present themselves in the best possible light to potential landlords.

'We're really guided by what our guests want to achieve. We work with them to set goals and make individual plans. One woman has started volunteering at an op shop. That's a good starting point for her to have some structure in her day.”

Angela says Awhina House provides the necessary breathing space to help women make future plans and get their lives together.

'We have women here who have been living in cars or in motel rooms which is quite isolating. They've just been in a holding pattern. How do you plan ahead when you're living in a car? All you're thinking about is how to buy petrol and where your next meal is coming from. You're in survival mode.

'Here, they're in a supported environment with wrap-around services to help them move forward. They can stop, take a breath, and focus on their long-term goals.”

Awhina House was made possible thanks to generous donations from a range of private and community organisations and funding agencies including a $60,000 grant from BayTrust. A further $6000 was also provided by BayTrust for strategic planning late last year.

'That's a very large amount, we're so grateful,” Angela says. 'It means we can focus our energies on doing the mahi here, and we can pay our bills and employees and buy the stuff we need.”

BayTrust CEO Alastair Rhodes says substantial grants, such as that given to He Kaupapa Kotahitanga Trust Tauranga to open and run Awhina House, helps to fulfil BayTrust's Vision of ensuring ‘the Bay of Plenty is the greatest place to be'.

'Homelessness and a lack of affordable accommodation are genuine and pressing issues in our community. We're thrilled to be able to help Awhina House open its doors before winter sets in, and it will likely be full to capacity in the near future.

'People often find themselves in difficult circumstances through no fault of their own, and supporting them to build a better future will ultimately strengthen our whole community. It's wonderful to know that those personal transformations are now taking place.”