September 02, 2016
Te Puea challenge to fill housing void
Tamaki Makaurau MP Peeni Henare wants government agencies to take up the challenge set by Te Puea Marae and come up with policies and programmes to end homelessness.
In a ceremony this week to mark the end of the Mangere marae’s winter homelessness programme, chair Hurimoana Dennis said if the marae had to do it again next year, it would have failed.
"It’s actually a challenge to the Government, it's a challenge to emergency housing providers, social service providers across the country to buck up their ideas, start getting better outcomes for our whanau who are most vulnerable, desperate and in need, and Te Puea Marae obviously filled that void for the past few months," Mr Henare says.
Because of the outpouring of generosity for the initiative Te Puea was able to provide cash and leftover donated materials to other housing initiatives in Auckland, Hamilton and Kaitaia.
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