2025 Annual Report

The last year has been enormously challenging for the people CMM supports. The rising cost of living, increasing unemployment, restrictions on social welfare and housing assistance, and cuts to social services have put pressure on people who are simply trying to keep their families fed and warm.

The housing situation is particularly difficult as the government pulls back on building homes. CMM has had to pause its building programme even as cuts to Emergency Housing, and difficulty getting Transitional Housing, have left many at risk of homelessness, or actually homeless.

One bright spot for us was the opening of fourteen new homes in Wesley Village. These beautiful homes, set in the Village’s award winning gardens, bring new residents into a supportive community where they can age well and with dignity. We would like to be able to do more of this.

Meanwhile, our Guild Street community, approaching its 5th anniversary, shows how CMM helps families flourish. Most of the families who moved in have stayed, many who were unemployed have found work, and recently Guild Street children featured in the Press celebrating the benefits of living there.

These bright spots are important because it’s been a challenging year for staff. An uncertain funding environment and cuts to other social services in the city have put significant pressure on them. One of the hardest aspects of this is being unable to help some people because the funding, the housing, and the services just are not available.

CMM is in a strong position to meet the current challenges. Financially, the organisation is stable, our staff are skilled, dedicated and kind, our Management team leads with compassion, and our Director is inspirational. We have wonderful parishes supporting us with donations and prayers, and volunteers giving of their time and skill.

I extend my grateful thanks to all, including my fellow Board members who continue to serve CMM with generosity. more of this.

Tēnā koutou katoa

Reading through the reports of our different services, it’s clear that one of our greatest strengths is that none of these divisions is a silo. Throughout CMM, there is a host of ways in which staff reach across the organisation to support each other’s mahi.

Our different housing teams talk with each other to find the best way to support individuals and whānau in housing distress. Our Community Team comes to Aratupu for a Recreate Clothing Swap and Mend event, and takes Guild Street rangatahi (young people) on outdoor activities. Our financial mentors offer workshops for rangatahi in our Supported Accommodation and to whānau at Aratupu.

And it’s not only staff: a Wesley Village resident spends time each week with tamariki at Aratupu and another buys preschool books for them. It all adds up to a tremendously strong and supportive organisation.

Our annual two-day Staff Retreat at Living Springs was a great opportunity to learn from each other. And the introduction  of a staff Intranet this year has helped cross-organisational communication enormously. As well, staff learn Te Reo together and have participated in trainings at local marae.

Advocacy is becoming increasingly important in CMM’s  work; supporting people to get what they are entitled to and speaking out on issues relevant to, and based on evidence from, our work. This year, this has included making an oral submission opposing the Treaty Principles Bill, highlighting the increase in homelessness and drawing attention to the number of older people living in housing distress.

CMM is fortunate to have a strong, values-driven staff team, a stable and experienced management group, a supportive Board which continues to challenge us to be brave, and individuals, parishes and philanthropic organisations who support our work. Thank you to you all.