Methodist Mission Southern: Sustaining Tenancies

We know that there are significant housing issues across Aotearoa, and those problems are here in the lower South too. You already know about our Youth Transition Houses. But we have another way of helping: our Sustaining Tenancies programme.

For too many people, their low incomes, the difficulties they have faced and continue to deal with, family problems, and the burdens of sometimes unreasonable expectations from landlords can combine, triggering homelessness.

The Mission provides support to individuals and whānau who need help to sustain their tenancy and address any issues which put their tenancy at risk.

Funded by government, the objective is that ‘homelessness is prevented where possible, or is rare, brief and nonrecurring’.

Sustaining Tenancies develop whānau-led plans and offer services wrapped around the individual or whānau. This could involve life skills coaching, advocacy, and support to navigate services, referral to budgeting advise and advocacy with landlords.

What does it look like in practice? Recently, a single mother of two from Little Citizens, the Methodist Mission’s early childcare centre in Dunedin, was required to leave her rental property with little notice. MMS’s Taituarā a Hāpori supported her in working through her WINZ entitlements and to work through this situation to find the best solution for her and her children. The family moved into emergency housing, and whilst seeking out support from agencies, the mum searched for suitable accommodation. A positive outcome resulted as she was successful in securing a new rental property.

Kaupapa Māori principles underpin Sustaining Tenancies services

• TeMauri o te whānau: enabling the life force, an essence for revival and fulfilment, to be sustained in wellbeing
• Tikanga: doing things right, being in the right place at the right time
• Whanaungatanga: delivering services for Māori through a whakapapa lens
• Manaakitanga: key mechanisms of engaging and building relationships
• Whakamana: empowering whānau intergenerationally
• Tino Rangatiratanga: self-determination of self-sufficiency through creating your own sense of belonging

Challenging social justice and giving sustainable support, the Methodist Mission Southern’s programmes offer local action for change that works.

If you would like to support the Mission’s work, please get in touch. Contact Julie julier@mmsouth.org.nz to hear more stories of the Mission’s impact via our e-news or sign-up Methodist Mission Southern | Facebook