Limitless hope: Hard slog to aid homeless 'starts now'

Tukituki Labour spokeswoman Anna Lorck feels a Hawke's Bay homeless action plan should be implemented. Photo / Glenn Taylor

The Swannell family may have reached an initial fundraising goal of $65,000 but "the hard work starts now", a local leader says.

Tukituki Labour spokeswoman Anna Lorck feels a Hawke's Bay homeless action plan should be implemented to bolster work being done by husband and wife team Kiri and Kevin Swannell.

Such a plan would see all pre-existing services feed into the Limitless Hope project, and would be the result of a collaboration between council's, community and iwi.

The Swannells run a soup kitchen from Napier's Clive Square every Monday - now they have set their sights on the region's first emergency shelter, aiming to provide a safe place for families and individuals in desperate need of a bed for the night.

They have been donated a two-storey house by Property Brokers but still need to find a permanent plot of land to put it on - something which is proving difficult.

"We need some task force or a working party to come up with the right place, if we don't have the right place it won't work," Ms Lorck said. "This red tape we face, the councils can really help, if we sort out the best place for all those services then we can look for land ... the hard work starts now".

Hastings-based Tukituki MP Craig Foss felt it was key not to lose momentum but agreed making a final decision on where to put the structure should not be taken lightly.

"This stuff doesn't come easy but if you have got a good cause and good people you get results," he said. "It's the last hurdle but it's a 10 or 20-year decision - once we find a permanent place for it that's where it will live, it can't just be moved on from there."

With more and more people reaching out for help the next step could not come soon enough for Kiri and Kevin Swannell.

Mrs Swannell had been "in tears" as she received text messages from two families in two days with nowhere to go, among many other sad stories.

"We have been very frustrated, we need to get this shelter up and running ... it's horrible, I have nowhere to put them.

"About 90 per cent of these people are on waiting lists for state housing and they are in limbo, with no place to stay."

She wondered if finding temporary land to place tents, and handing out "emergency kits" could be a solution for now.

Their cause had touched many people.

A $65,000 goal was reached on Givealittle and donations were still trickling in.

Property Brokers regional manager Paul Whitaker said: "I have been really surprised by the outpouring of support ... we have had little 5-year-olds coming in here and giving $5, we have had old ladies from Waiapu House coming in to donate $100 or $200 of their pension."