The future of the Dunedin Night Shelter hangs in the balance, as trustees face a deadline for the sale of the Lees St buildings.
The trust has about $240,000 still to raise by October, if it is to make its $600,000 target and buy the two buildings that make up the night shelter - the main building and the annexe Phoenix Lodge.
So far, it has raised $360,000 towards its target, including a grant of $200,000 from the Otago Community Trust, grants from other funders and individual donations. However, trustees were disappointed when an application to Lotteries' community facilities fund was turned down.
''It was very disappointing for us, after so much work, to miss out on that funding,'' trustee John Le Brun said.
''So, now we have to put a big effort into fundraising to reach that $600,000 target - the pressure is on.''
It had been a long journey to raise the $360,000 and now the trust needed the help of the community get get over the final hurdle, he said.
Dunedin Night Shelter Trust chairman David Brown said the shelter's landlords had been extremely generous, holding off on selling the buildings for three years and allowing the trust below-market rental. However, they had reached the stage where the sale was necessary.
''For the trust, owning the buildings would mean securing the future of the night shelter, and it would allow us a firm basis to develop our services,'' Mr Brown said.
''Otherwise, we can't be sure what a new owner would want to do with the property.''
Founded in 2007 as a men's shelter, the Dunedin Night Shelter has evolved in more recent years to a facility supporting anyone in need of short-term emergency housing, including families.
In 2014, the shelter provided an average of 54 bed nights per month, and demand continues to rise - especially in cold weather.
''On those very cold nights, you look at the people we are helping and wonder what would happen to them if it wasn't for the night shelter,'' Mr Brown said.
''There is definitely a wider group of vulnerable people coming to the shelter for help.''
The Dunedin Night Shelter Trust has been working to expand its services to include a social worker, and in the meantime shelter supervisors had been helping out ''from the kindness of their hearts'', Mr Brown said.
''In their own time, our supervisors have been chasing up accommodation for people and advocating for them, which is so kind of them,'' he said.
''This type of help is what we are trying to achieve for homeless people, who don't necessarily have the resources to help themselves.''
Several fundraising projects are under way for the Dunedin Night Shelter Trust, including donation options through the website www.dunedinnightshelter.co.nz, a givealittle fundraising page, and a street appeal on July 28.
The University of Otago Volunteer Centre will also help out with a fundraising ''sleep-out'' for students on July 24.
- by Brenda Harwood
