Community and Voluntary Sector minister and Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia helped mark a 5-year-old's birthday in Napier, following the lead of a ministerial predecessor who was present for the birth.

The occasion marked five years since Napier's Community House was opened by 2006 minister Winnie Laban.

The house has gathered a group of largely volunteer organisations under one roof to help tackle a variety of social issues in the city and throughout Hawke's Bay.

The house opened leased office space to up to 20 organisations in Raffles St premises formerly occupied by legal firm Langley Twigg, now based in Ahuriri.

It is administered by a trust, chaired by Napier City Council member Dave Pipe, and Ms Turia said it had taken on the role of funding administrator to help reduce the burdens on the participating groups.

"Achieving savings in overhead costs enables organisations to focus on delivery of their services and achieving better outcomes for their communities," she said.

The house had helped people needing the services by having them in one building and also near to other government agencies.

She said three organisations - Napier Budget Advice, Peoples Advocacy and Information 4 Disability - had developed a process which helped guide clients who needed more than one of the services.