Dunedin Night Shelter

The Dunedin Night Shelter is Dunedin’s only general access emergency accommodation, open 365 days a year.

The Shelter run by the Dunedin Night Shelter Trust is Dunedin's only night shelter. Started in 2007 as a men's shelter, demand from the community has seen it evolve in more recent years to a facility supporting anyone in need of short-term emergency housing.

The Shelter provides dinner, breakfast and a warm, dry bed for those who have run out of other options. In addition clients are able to wash clothes, and are provided with advice and assistance in finding accommodation and ensuring they are receiving all appropriate benefits. Clients are generally able to stay at the Shelter for a maximum of five nights although discretion is used depending on individual circumstances. Our aim is to encourage and assist self-responsibility. As well as providing support to those who would fit a definition of what we traditionally think of as ‘homeless’ the Shelter also regularly assists people who have suffered a life shock such as loss of job or relationship break up and need a hand to get back on their feet.

The number of clients using the Shelter varies from month to month, but during August and September 2017 we had over 120 bed nights - 48 men and 5 women. That is 120 cases of someone sleeping on the streets or in a car on a cold winters night without the Shelter.

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Organisation details

Dunedin Night Shelter

Charity
Otago

The Dunedin Night Shelter Trust has been operating since 2007 and provides Dunedin's only night shelter, offering short-term emergency accommodation to anyone in need. In addition we run a transitional housing unit helping men who are struggling to find suitable mainstream accommodation.