Te Pā Maru - New Zealand's first 'wet house'- on Wellington's Taranaki St. Photo: Wellington City Mission
New Zealand's first 'wet house' - Te Pā Maru - will celebrate its one-year anniversary next month.
It's a significant milestone for a project that has been decades in the making, having faced political knockbacks and financial woes since planning began in 2009.
However, in September 2023, after a major $6 million refurbishment by Wellington City Mission, the first-of-its-kind facility opened its doors on Wellington's Taranaki St. With 18 ensuite bedrooms and round-the-clock staffing, Te Pā Maru provides homeless men with chronic alcoholism a secure home and access to wraparound services, while allowing them to drink on site.
Wellington City Missioner Murray Edridge says abstinence is a very high bar for some people, and addiction should not exclude them from access to secure housing. He speaks to Kathryn.
Wellington City Missioner Murray Edridge. Photo: Wellington City Mission
