The Tauranga Women's Refuge says it received almost 1600 crisis calls in just two months - a number it would usually receive in a year.
Between July 1 2016 and September 30, the refuge received 1537 crisis calls - 25 a day on average.
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Over a third of those calls required immediate safety intervention.
The refuge worked with 128 new clients in the Tauranga community over those two months, and housed 20 adults and 25 children for a total of 368 bed nights.
Tauranga Refuge manager Angela Warren-Clark said the number of families in need was "insane".
"It's great that people are calling and asking for help but it's also quite scary to think our city is changing."
Its busiest times were between 8am-10am, where it usually received 10 crisis calls, and between 1pm-2pm, where there were usually 15.
Mrs Warren-Clark put the increase in numbers down to a willingness to reach out.
We're constantly needing to support women who are black and blue from being beaten.
"I think people are asking for more help, all sorts of community interventions. Whole communities helping and supporting people. I don't think we're any more violent than any other community. But we ask for help."
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However, the other factor she thought was driving the statistics was the prevalent use of methamphetamine and synthetic drugs in the community.
"Apparently tinny houses are not so common, but now it's 'sinny' houses. Synthetic drugs don't cause violence but they certainly exasperate violent tendencies."
The increase in violence was visible on many Tauranga women escaping to the refuge.
"We're constantly needing to support women who are black and blue from being beaten. It wasn't uncommon before, but now it's pretty much every woman coming into the safe house.
"It's really distressing for the little children to see the mums in that kind of state. Thank goodness we have a little bit of sponsorship which gives us arnica cream, because we bloody need it."
The Christmas season was a notoriously busy time for the refuge.
"We're seeing a lot of methamphetamine use in the perpetrators, there's a real unpredictability with those men, and I guess poverty is becoming more and more prevalent with our women and children."
"We're seeing a lot of families having difficulties moving on from the safe house because of the difficulties of housing in the community. In the last four weeks we've moved six families out. That's 28 children, 28 beds we've needed to find."
To donate to the Tauranga Women's Refuge, go to: givealittle.co.nz/org/taurangarefuge, or call their donation line on 0800 872 9253.