I feel peaceful. I feel content. I feel very lucky.

At 84, Patricia Parry never imagined she would be starting again. After a life that spanned Middlesbrough in the UK, the Channel Islands and southern England, Patricia made the brave decision to leave an abusive relationship of more than three decades and move to Nelson to live with her daughter.

For three years, Nelson was a place of refuge, but Patricia longed for a home of her own. Each day she walked past the new apartments on Nile Street, wondering what they were and who they were for.

“I walked past every day and thought, I have to find out,” Patricia says. “I never imagined it would end up being my home.”

After making contact with Home in Place New Zealand, Patricia was offered a ground floor apartment at the Nile Street development, a centrally located social housing complex delivered through a partnership between Home in Place, Soho and other local partners.

At the time, Patricia had very little. She arrived with two suitcases of clothes, while family and friends helped furnish her new home. Even now, she says it still feels unreal.

“I still cannot believe I have this place,” she says. “It feels like a very modern hotel room, but it is mine.”

The design of the apartment has made everyday life easier. Flat, ground floor access, bathroom rails and views to the garden and trees support Patricia’s independence, while the location means she can walk to shops, town services, her doctor and family.

“It feels like a small village,” she says. “Having the church next door is lovely, and the neighbours look out for each other.”

For Patricia, settling in was marked by a quiet, deeply personal moment.

“The moment I sat on my one chair, with my one bed and one cup for tea, I felt settled for the first time in many, many years,” she says.

Larissa Bridge, Chief Executive Officer of Home in Place New Zealand, says Patricia’s experience reflects the importance of wraparound support and strong partnerships.