Safe Place to Land: New Youth Accommodation Opens

For some young people, home is not always a place where they feel safe, settled or supported.

In Tauranga, that can be due to overcrowded houses, unstable environments, or situations where young people are exposed to family harm and violence. For those under 18, options are limited and are often only available in the most extreme circumstances.

That gap is exactly what a new emergency accommodation service at Arndt House in Brookfield is designed to address.

Operated by the Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust (BOPYDT), the eight-bedroom home provides a safe, supported place for young people who need time away from their current living situation.

A Gap That Can’t Be Ignored

BOPYDT has long worked alongside young people through mentoring, education and life skills programmes designed tobuild their confidence, resilience and independence.

BOPYDT’s registered social worker, Toni Nolan, leads the new housing project and says there is “huge housing need” among the teenagers she works with.

“One young person was living in a three bedroom home with 14 other adults and kids. The home itself was a loving home. It was just not fit for purpose. We have other young people who are going back to dysfunctional home environments that have a lot of family harm and domestic violence happening.

“Through BOPYDT programmes, they’re seeing this whole new way of being and gaining all these opportunities and life skills, and then they’re going home to these houses that almost reset them.”

A House With a Purpose

Arndt House opened in early March 2026,following collaboration between BOPYDT and ImpacTauranga, which owns the property. It was previously used for respite care under an Oranga Tamariki contract but the house had been sitting vacant – until a new use became clear.

Now fully staffed and operating, the house can accommodate up to eight young people, typically aged between 12 and 24,depending on individual needs and circumstances.

While Arndt House provides immediate safety and stability, wrap-around support is available to help young people set goal sand work towards their next step.

“That might be getting into employment, moving into a flatting situation or independent living, or the goal might be to move home and resolve whatever is causing them to need the accommodation in the first place,” Toni says.

Meals are provided and laundry taken care of, with a ‘house mum and dad’ on hand to look after day-to-day needs. Those aged over 16 can choose to stay at Arndt House of their own free will, while BOPYDT works alongside whānau and Oranga Tamariki to make arrangements for younger residents who need the service.

“On one hand, it’s a good circuit breaker, ”Toni explains. “It gives them a chance to catch their breath. But on the other hand, it’s also exposing them to another way of living. If they’ve lived a life of chaos, then having a calm routine and people who want to support them is really a good chance to change their life trajectory and just let them know that there are other options out there. They don’t have to be a product of the environment that they grew up in.”

Wider Community Support

BOPYDT’s broad range of youth programmes play a key role in that journey.

“Our mentors and facilitators are incredible. They show our young people that they’ve got someone in their corner. They teach them life skills and values, and give them the tools they need to transition into independence when they grow up. We offer everything from social work services to psychology. We’ve got a nurse who comes in and a drug and alcohol counsellor. So we’re really trying to address any barrier that there could be for a young person to thrive.”

Arndt House is designed to be a short to medium-term solution but the length of stay will depend entirely on the individual’s needs, Toni says.

A $30,000 grant from BayTrust is helping to fund the operational costs of Arndt House, supporting staffing and day-to-day running of the service.

With the house still in its early stages, demand is already clear.

“It’s really amazing to now have a youth transitional housing service in Tauranga. It’s only available to young people who are engaged in a programme here at Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust, but we would love to expand that in the future.”