''We've got a facility that's fit for the purpose, which we didn't really have before,'' Dunedin Red Cross humanitarian services co-ordinator Steve King said yesterday.
The office, at 31 York Place, had once been partly used as an op-shop, and had previously not been suited to its current use, which includes providing support for vulnerable people and holding meetings.
The office will be open to the public to visit from 5pm today, World Red Cross Day.
Visitors will be able to learn more about Red Cross activities in Otago and how people can get involved.
Since Dunedin became an refugee resettlement area in 2016, 550 former refugees had moved to the city and Red Cross staff numbers had also risen from about six full and part-time staff to 17 staff and a few other casual staff, Mr King said.
The Red Cross has a government contract to support former refugees, mainly in the first year of their new life in New Zealand.
The refurbishment includes two new interview rooms, an improved meeting room, staff room and working area, a new disaster response and support team training space, and a modern reception area, switched to the front of the complex.
The refurbished office can accommodate all Red Cross services: community programmes, migration programme, first aid courses and disaster management.
