One-year on at our Guild Street Housing Community

Published on 10th of December, 2021

Last week we marked a notable milestone as our Guild Street Housing Community officially turned one-year old! It’s been a whole year since the community was opened last December by Hon. Poto Williams and whānau began moving in just before Christmas. Currently, 15 whānau with 34 tamariki call Guild Street home.

Guild Street is not your average social housing development. With a dedicated community house, a community development worker and an extensive shared green space it is a special place for whānau to live and tamariki to grow up. Tamariki make use of the expansive ground space, often seen playing in the gardens and spotting eels in the creek.

Guild Street’s dedicated Community Development Worker Rene has observed the community thrive in many different ways over the past year.

“It is evident that the residents are taking ownership of the place—and taking pride in it” says Rene. “I remember an instance when contracted landscapers who came onsite to work on the grounds were treated with coffee and food as a sign of gratitude from the residents.”

“The community is composed of seven different ethnicities and the sense of intercultural awareness is evident in how people interact and socialize with each other as well as respect others who prefer to be on their own. In my role I can feel a change from being an initiator to being a facilitator as more and more residents are now coming forward with their own suggestions and workable solutions rather than issues. And when I say residents, this includes the tamariki.”

We were delighted to host AnglicanCare for an afternoon tea and tour around the grounds last week to show them how the community looks one-year on. Without the generosity of AnglicanCare who leased the land to us, we would never have been able to develop this community.

“Guild Street is a fantastic example of a collaborative approach to address the housing crisis. The provision of permanent, warm homes for 15 families with a dedicated Community Development Worker is something we’re incredibly proud of” says CMM Executive Director Jill Hawkey.