About Us

Asylum Safe House is an initiative of the Safe Haven Housing Trust Board, purchasing and operating safe houses in Auckland for asylum seekers across New Zealand.

Safe Haven Housing Trust Board is a registered charitable trust (CC57293) with donee status, governed by compassionate Kiwi people with decades of experience in this field and with international connections to support the protection of our clients. Bryan Johnson and his team of trustees manage the organisation, while our fantastic volunteers are practising traditional indigenous values of ‘Manaakitanga’, ‘Kotahitanga’, ‘Awhi’ and ‘Aroha’ (hospitality, solidarity, nurturing and love). The Safe Haven Housing Trust Board is a compassionate solution to provide support for quality accommodation, food, healthcare, and security for asylum seekers while they focus on presenting their cases to immigration authorities. Asylum seekers are waiting 2 years for their first interview. These unacceptable delays are causing unforeseen difficulties for the applicants and Safe Haven.

In 2021, 605 people claimed asylum protection in NZ under the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees enacted in 1960. In 2024, 2,396 people claimed asylum – a tidal wave of fleeing asylum seekers has hit us. In 2025, 2,270 asylum claims were lodged.

Justice for asylum seekers – NOW


Fundraising $195,000 is required NOW to secure the second townhouse by 30 November 2026


  • Total cost of project + one more townhouse: $627,000
  • Furnishings: $11,900 (already donated)
  • Working capital: $35,000
  • Legal Cost: $5950
  • Mortgage: ($550,000)
  • Project Total: $129,850


Read More about Justice for asylum seekers – NOW

Core Values

Whanaungatanga – embracing people in to the family
Manaakitanga – honouring and respecting people by providing generous hospitality
Providing quality and safe accommodation enables us to demonstrate these values.
Awhi & Aroha - nurturing compassionate love.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide secure, quality, affordable housing and dedicated settlement support for asylum seekers in New Zealand. Asylum Safe House, an official initiative of the Safe Haven Housing Trust Board, we protect vulnerable individuals from the threat of deportation, torture, and human rights violations by giving them a safe foundation to rebuild their lives in dignity.

News & Updates

Asylum seeker, refugee, or migrant: what’s the difference?

You have probably heard the words ‘asylum seeker‘, ‘refugee‘ and ‘migrant‘ many times, at work, around the family table, and in the news. Most of us use them as if they mean the same thing. Do they? No. And the difference matters, because it affects a person’s safety, their rights and where they can live…. Read More

Get in Touch

Post Box 99835 Newmarket, Auckland 1149

Email: [email protected]

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