Guild Street Community
From temporary shelter to permanent community: faith-based partnership reimagining social housing
Guild Street Community Housing Project represents an innovative faith-based partnership addressing Christchurch's post-earthquake housing needs. By transforming temporary EQC accommodation into permanent homes on AnglicanCare land, the Christchurch Methodist Mission created a community rather than simply housing units.
The project's distinguishing feature is its dedicated community infrastructure—a full-time community worker and Community House that facilitate connection, support, and shared activities. This intentional approach to community-building transforms how social housing functions, moving beyond crisis response toward sustainable wellbeing outcomes.
Housing culturally diverse families on extensive shared grounds with play spaces and community gardens, Guild Street demonstrates that collaborative partnerships, adequate funding for community development, and resident-centred design can create places where families flourish. The five-year research programme tracking outcomes positions this as a replicable model for healthy social housing across Aotearoa.
