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As Women’s Refuges around the country maintain the lockdown at their safe houses, the collectives are scrambling for extra space.
Ronnie Albert from Hamilton’s Te Whakaruruhau Maori Women's Refuge says there were 50 women and children in its six houses when the lockdown started, so any additional whanau have to be put elsewhere.
Support from ministries and philanthropic trusts means it was able to secure some motel space.
"The complication is that emergency housing, housing for our men, housing for mental health are all in the same boat. People are trying to get the motels all over town to secure for them. We need to keep in touch with our NGO's or groups that are looking for housing for their own so we don't get them mixed up and we are all on the same site for our wāhine that need that safe housing or that time out" says Ronnie Albert.
Ronnie Albert says the way refuges engage has also changed, because it's now more likely the man will still be in the house, and they are also working closely with police.
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