A Rotorua man is trying to break the cycle of homelessness in the city by putting a roof over the heads of the most at-risk people.
Tiny Deane, 48, and his fiancé are in the process of leasing a home for roughly 30 homeless people to live in, as well as function as a drop-in centre.
"In that drop-in centre is going to be cups of tea, coffee and stuff, and then any homeless people or anyone who does come in that needs to see a doctor or nurse or a health provider, we'll have all the providers there," says Me Deane.
He hopes he can get visitors back into the swing of working, too.
"We're going to take them out hunting and fishing, out into the bush chopping firewood, setting possum traps, getting possums for the Department of Conservation, and just getting them out there doing stuff."
Despite having no job himself, Mr Deane is paying for it out of his own pocket at this stage. After he was forced out of work from an injury suffered in a car accident, he and his fiancé will also live in the house to care for their guests around the clock.
He says the generosity of others is helping him along.
"We're in the process of going through our budget, how many staff we're going to have to pay, just to make everything work... but yeah through Government, through charities, through the iwi down here, and a lot of places."
If all goes well, Mr Deane also plans to turn his venture into a trust.
Newshub.
