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ABOUT US
Lew Findlay and a group of people from the Palmerston North Street Van shared a concern for people living on the streets. They established Shepherd’s Rest Trust on 1st November 2002 to provide warm, safe, and dry accommodation for people who had nowhere to go.
Legacy picked up the leadership of the Trust in 2017. Legacy Housing now provides over 120 rooms in Palmerston North and Levin, making it one of the biggest non-government social housing services in the region. This will be expanded to Whanganui in 2025.
Legacy Housing’s vision is transformed lives. This statement is much more than a few words on paper. It is a statement that guides us, drives us, and ultimately is a standard by which we judge our effectiveness. Legacy Housing exists to help the most in need and disadvantaged people in our region. We believe that every person has value no matter how broken they are and that people can turn their lives around with the right support.
OUR TRUSTEES
LEADERSHIP
TEAM
OUR IMPACT
Legacy Housing delivers significant Social Return on Investment (SROI). Legacy Housing not only meets immediate needs, it also reduces long-term social costs. The involvement of volunteers further amplifies this impact, strengthening community ties and increasing value without significant financial cost. One study in 2020, for example, found that homeless individuals in NZ cost the healthcare system $15-20k per person annually compared to $2-4k per person for the general population. Other studies show that stable housing reduces emergency room visits, hospital stays, and mental health crises by 30-60%, which works out as a saving of roughly $10k per person every year.