Wellington: Shanti Niwas Charitable Trust Inc. has launched Shanti Niwas Emergency Housing (SNEH), in partnership with New Zealand's Rancchod Group, aiming to provide short-term and long-term shelter to senior citizens from Indian and South Asian communities, dwelling in abusive situations and are in need of emergency housing.

The Trust said, "The main objective of this shelter is to provide a safe and secure environment to our elders in such situations."

The elders will be housed for an initial period of three weeks, with a maximum stay of three months.

SNEH's aim will be to get them back to their families, however if moving back is not an option, then the organisation will look into an alternative long-term arrangement.

Social workers will work with senior citizens to help them with the process of resettlement.

A small fee will be charged to defray a part of the expenses incurred in running and maintaining the SNEH facilities, according to the trust which works with socially isolated senior citizens of Indian and South Asian origin living in the Auckland region.

Indian origin people have increased a lot in New Zealand in recent times. The country is hospitable to the coming people and this is why it has lot of migrants.

(IANS)