A safe home by Christmas
In the last 12 months, 2,235 asylum seekers arrived in New Zealand, ten times more than in 2019. In September alone, Safe Haven Housing Trust welcomed nine new people who needed somewhere to stay. We now house 53 asylum seekers in two townhouses we own and 13 rented homes.
Some have no income and cannot get an MSD emergency benefit because their visa expired within days of arriving. For them, Safe Haven is the only option.
A Goal
We are raising $87,000 by 3 December to buy a four-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse in Favona, Māngere, for $649,000.
- The developer has donated $39,000, bringing the price to $610,000. Auckland Council values the townhouse at $758,000.
- Christian Savings has offered us a $550,000 mortgage.
- We need a $60,000 deposit by 2 December and the remaining $27,000 by 15 December.
- Legal fees, furnishing, landscaping and building reports will cost about $20,000.
Owning costs us less than renting, so every purchase stretches your donations further.
Why now
We expect five new asylum seekers before Christmas. Because of MSD holiday closures, we may not receive any rent from them until the end of January 2027.
How you can help
- Give once: $100 to $200
- Or give $25 a week for 4 to 6 weeks, a small, steady way to reach the deposit
Our aim is for 700 of our supporters to give something, whatever they can afford. The foundations we apply to look for evidence of broad community support, and 700 donors would show them exactly that.
In July and August, we asked for $165,000 for our last townhouse and received $188,700 from just 38 supporters. This appeal is less than half that size.
How do you eat a large Christmas dinner? One bite at a time. Your gift could be one of those bites. Thank you.
Thank you also to our treasurer, Susan, who keeps our finances in order two days a week.