Free short-term accommodation means whānau have a place to stay when visiting young people who are receiving mental health support in Porirua.
Ngā Taiohi forensic mental health unit Team leader John Duncan, and Kenepuru Hospital's intellectual disability manager Trish Davis, in front of the flats. Photo: Supplied
A project that provides accommodation to the families of young people being treated for mental health issues has benefited more than 60 groups in the past year alone.
Capital and Coast District Health Board owns three two-bedroom flats near its Porirua-based Rangatahi inpatient unit at Kenepuru Hospital.
The flats are for the use of whānau whose family members are receiving mental health support.
Each flat can sleep up to four people, and has toilet and cooking facilities, as well as a television and washing machine.
The hospital's intellectual disability manager, Trish Davis, said accommodation costs were often a barrier to families spending time with relatives who had been admitted for treatment.
"There's nothing like having family around ... regular visits are important in people's recovery", she said.
A team leader of the Ngā Taiohi forensic mental health unit, John Duncan, said families had responded well to the facilities.
"These visits can be quite emotional ... [and] people really appreciate having a place where they can spend time together and be a family."
The flats can be used by a single family for up to a week. More than 60 families have stayed in the facilities over the past year.
