Housing Former Refugees - Can you help?

Over a misunderstanding during Christmas, we lost renting a one-bedroom property for a 24-year-old mum and her daughter. The family has been waiting at the refugee camp in Auckland since 27th September 2023, praying for an affordable safe home in Dunedin. Except for the help from their case worker at the refugee camp and the Red Cross, they have no whānau support in the South Hemisphere!

If you know a one-bedroom or a two-bedroom property to rent, please consider participating in God's work of showing love and compassion to those who have faced adversity. We have a long list of families entering New Zealand and waiting at the camp for housing during the last three months. Helping in any capacity in Dunedin goes a long way. Renting to former refugee families is beyond providing a safe building. It contributes to their well-being, integration, and sense of belonging in their new home and community.

We at the Red Cross and the refugee community are committed to fostering a positive and harmonious living environment in our families' new homeland. We are strengthening community bonds, cultural exchange, and personal growth for our community in Dunedin.

Our families are New Zealand residents. Red Cross can ensure financial stability by an automatic payment of the rent directly from WINZ benefits.

If you have any concerns, please contact me so we can alleviate those worries. If you are curious to know more about the cultural sensitivity of our new families, the Red Cross can offer help from Cross-Cultural Workers who are experts in this field.

Mona Tavakoli, Volunteer Programme Lead, mona.tavakoli@redcross.org.nz

Mona Tavakoli (she/her)
Volunteer Programme Lead/ Kaiārahi Kaupapa Tūao
New Zealand Red Cross/ Ripeka Whero Aotearoa
tel: 0272947693

Dunedin Service Centre
31 York Place, Dunedin Central
Dunedin 9016

www.redcross.org.nz