A Place to Call Home- Te Ki a Alasdair
20 DCM whānau have made a home in Te Kī a Alasdair, Wellington’s vibrant new community housing.
Te Kī a Alasdair building.
Te Kī a Alasdair (The Voice of Alasdair), which opened in October 2023, is located on Frederick Street and is one of the newest and largest community housing developments in Wellington. Comprising 75 purpose-built apartments for those in the community with disabilities and complex needs, the development was the vision of Maurice and Kaye Clark, founders of Kirva Trust, in recognition of their late son Alasdair. Alasdair was well-known at DCM as one of the food bank volunteers and a supporter of society's marginalized people, working hard despite having his own challenges of autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia.
“Alasdair really opened our eyes” says Kaye, “we are doing this because of him. He changed our lives enormously.” Through their son, they became passionate about the need for long-term social housing. When asked about her vision for Te Kī a Alasdair, she says “I want to see the tenants flourish, and feel happier. I want their lives to blossom.”
To create Te Kī a Alasdair, Kirva Trust worked alongside community housing providers Emerge Aotearoa and Homes of Choice, as well as the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, with construction carried out by McKee Fehl.
DCM and our whānau are so grateful to the Kirva Trust for their support and their vision for the Wellington community.
Maurice and Kaye Clark.
Since opening, 20 of DCM’s whānau have been placed into permanent housing in Te Kī a Alasdair.
Anton’s New Chapter
‘Anton’ has experienced homelessness on and off most of his life. He frequently visits Te Hāpai at DCM which offers him “a place where I can come and chill out, have a coffee and Milo and just have time.”
Anton moved into Te Kī a Alasdair in February. “I was super excited. I was also quite relieved. I’ve wanted something like this for so long,” Anton shares, when talking about receiving the news of his new home. “It’s a place I can take pride and joy in. I keep cleaning to make it look perfect.” He has enjoyed setting up his new space exactly as he wants it to be – with social areas and a beanbag on the balcony.
“I love having a house that I can be proud of, and bring my family to. It’s never been like this for me.”
Before finding his new home, Anton faced challenges in other housing situations. “Before moving in here, I was in different housing, but it wasn’t a healthy place for me to be,” he reveals. Health issues from black mould and a heart attack led him to a stay in hospital and then back to the streets briefly before his keyworker helped secure his spot at Te Kī a Alasdair.
Anton holding a cup of hot chocolate before making his way out onto the balcony.
Adjusting to indoor living after years on the streets hasn’t been easy for Anton. “I did struggle at first, I am not used to spending so much time inside. I was on the streets for 31 years so getting used to a house is hard. It feels like a foreign land” he admits. However, with time, Anton says he is getting used to it and finding comfort in his own space, though he sometimes sleeps with the windows open so that it feels like it did when he slept outside.
“I don’t feel so depressed like I used to feel.”
“I see this as a permanent place, my home, my whare, my house,” Anton says, getting excited when he realises that it is the first time he has called this space a ‘home’.
From A Tent to a Whare Full of Warmth
‘Maia’ has been working with DCM for over 3 years since one of the outreach workers saw her living in a tent and started a conversation. “I’m so glad that she found me. It has opened my eyes to the help available, and I can now share my experience with others who might need it. I'm grateful that there's a place like DCM out there to help people like me,” says Maia.
Maia recently had a major operation and relied on support from DCM to see her through. She says, “My keyworker at DCM was there for me throughout the process. When I was told I could move into Te Kī a Alasdair, I thought it was fantastic!”
“Compared to where I was before, this new place is much cleaner and drier. After my operation, all I wanted was a space to put my feet up and recover. I'm glad I had a place I could come to where it's warm, nice, and safe. Now I can focus on getting better. I like the peace and quiet,” reflects Maia.
“I am so glad I am here and not where I was before.”
Maia was in emergency housing before being placed in Te Kī a Alasdair. She struggled with the noise, the mess, and the lack of security. She admits it was pretty tough.
“It’s been a big change going from living in a tent, and then living with others, to this place. This is my home now and I like to have kai in the pantry all the time,” she says.
Maia is excited for her son to visit next week. “He wants me to cook him a roast—it’s his favourite! He loves mum’s roast, and I haven’t been able to cook properly for so long.”
“I love it here. It’s a place just for me.”
Please note names have been changed for privacy reasons.