A new emergency night refuge for people experiencing homelessness in Masterton needs to plug a $40,000 funding shortfall before it can open.
The Kim’s Way project – named after Masterton resident and homelessness advocate Kim McKinley, who died in 2021 – was officially launched in 2022. The original aim was to open it by 2023.
The shelter – championed by resident Lyn Tankersley, Masterton District Council [MDC] councillor Stella Lennox, and former Masterton Mayor Bob Francis – is located on Bannister St and will provide emergency accommodation for up to 15 people.
Registered charity Te Awhina Community Hub Incorporated, which delivers community support services to the region, is the umbrella agency for the project and provides the Kim’s Way team with support for its administrative and financial processes.
“We’ve had to move the goal out a few times,” Lennox said, “but I really hope we’ll be open for spring. I can’t see why we couldn’t be.”
Thought about the council camping site 🤔.