Despite years of hearing good things about the work of De Paul House, and supporting their endeavours, I had never visited the Northcote-based community organisation. A visit was overdue. So during October I took a short electric car ride to Onewa Road, to interview De Paul House GM Jan Rutledge.

The building that houses De Paul House began life as a Catholic boarding college in 1934 run by the Dominican Sisters. Today it is a hive of activity, more part of a much-altered campus that has many parts – buildings and additions. On the day I visited it was a challenge to get a carpark.
Jan Rutledge first joined De Paul House back in 2006, working part time in funding – a critical space for a charity. This was just as The Daughters of Charity had handed over management to the Charitable Trust Board. She became general manager in 2014 when major additions were taking place. Jan has overseen the considerable expansion of De Paul House’s services and its housing provision. Jan’s efforts were acknowledged when she received a Queen Service Medal (QSM) for service to the community in 2022.
The origins of De Paul House as an organisation date back to the early 1980s. Members of the Society of St Vincent de Paul, Northcote, were concerned about the number of families on the North Shore who were either living in overcrowded circumstances or were homeless. Society members approached Bishop Denis Browne, the Bishop of Auckland at the time, and requested the use of St Dominic’s as an emergency housing facility, similar to that established by Monte Cecilia House, Hillsborough, which was set up by the Sisters of Mercy in 1983.
In November 1984, the management committee included members of the local Society of St Vincent de Paul, The Daughters of Charity, St Mary's Parish and the regional Pastoral Council. Some of these original members continue to be supporters and volunteers of De Paul House today.
In March 1985, planning approval was provided by Northcote Borough Council and stage one saw the establishment of the first transitional/emergency accommodation on the Onewa site – six bedrooms able to house 22 people, a communal lounge, dining, kitchen, and laundry facilities.
A year later, in March 1986, the first family moved in. The Daughters of Charity managed the service and renamed it De Paul House, to reflect their affiliation to St Vincent de Paul and the work of the Society of St Vincent de Paul.
Jan Rutledge explains that since 2017, De Paul House has expanded to include housing in the local community. In 2020, it received registration as a community housing provider.
“We now have 10 residential units on this site at Onewa Road, as well as our administration, offices, supplies and educational facilities. Major alterations and additions were made in 2014, including a purpose-built early childhood centre, a community learning centre, and accommodation for three larger self-contained units.
“We have 44 transitional housing and 12 social housing properties north of the Harbour Bridge and provide a range of wrap-around services to support the families we are helping. These services include budgeting advice and training, and digital literacy training.”
Jan Rutledge took me on a guided tour of the Onewa Road facility, introducing me to her team, including Operations Manager Naomi Malolo, Social Work Team Leader Rocky Adams, Tenancy Team Manager Sesalina Setu and Tenancy Manager Christine Stevens. She explained that each of these people plays a critical role in De Paul House achieving 80% success rates in transitioning people through to their own rental homes. There is a staff of 20 who are supported by 50-60 essential volunteers.
“Our family support service takes several forms,” explains Jan Rutledge. “Our core focus is achieving safe and secure housing with social work support. This is done through offering transitional housing, and we also offer a service for families and individuals requiring help with keeping their existing rental property. This support can include problems with neighbours; rent arrears; budgeting issues; problems with landlords; and helping those close to eviction. We also assist with provision of food, clothing, household goods and furniture, financial management services, and parenting classes.
“The families we are helping are often fragile, are under pressure, and have found it difficult to ask for help. Their situation may have been the result of many factors, such as the loss of jobs, or the breakdown of relationships. We are increasingly seeing families under 20 at the moment with young kids. Family harm is a big problem.
“We have seven social workers advocating for and assisting families. We help 150-200 families/individuals a year. This help often starts with hoods up, heads down and tackling health issues. Satisfaction comes when we see a lift in feelings after a period. Trust is earned; they start looking us in the eye. When that happens this is a powerful place to work.”
Jan Rutledge adds that a big factor is educating people on obligations as a tenant.
She says an added issue can be the size of accommodation and homes that are needed. Often the ‘build-up’ model of 1-2 bedrooms is not enough. Many of these families require three bedrooms or more.
De Paul House also runs a playgroup. This develops school readiness and confidence; all of which are essential to a child’s wellbeing and future success. Parents and preschool children learn together with qualified and experienced staff and volunteers. Playgroup is available to all De Paul House resident families and those attending the community learning centre.
On my visit to De Paul House I was able to view the community learning centre where the adult training takes place. I also saw some of the one-, two- and three-bedroom onsite transitional accommodation units, as well as the wonderful early learning centre where the kids are supported in a learning environment. Also on site is a store area for such items as donated furniture and bedding. Jan says volunteers play important roles in both the early learning centre as well as the store area. “Without our volunteers we couldn’t do what we do,” she says. “Volunteers help with food, clothing, furniture and across most services we provide. They are invaluable.”
I came away understanding that De Paul House offers a much-need service as needs have increased through the troubles of the past few years. Their aim is to re-house people within 12 weeks but the average has slipped out to 22 weeks as a result of the pressure people are under. Their high 80% success rate is testament to their fantastic work. It’s impressive. De Paul House is an organisation that is clearly making a difference.

For more information visit: depaulhouse.org.nz