Housing First scheme aims to house 200 homeless in Wellington

June 24, 2019
It will mean beggars and the homeless won’t be allowed within five metres of retail areas.

The Housing First programme is being launched in the Wellington region and aims to house 200 long-term homeless people and whānau there over the next two years.

Housing First puts homeless people with multiple, high and complex needs into secure housing. The programme, which received $197 million in this year's Budget, recognises it's much easier for people to address issues such as mental health problems and addiction, once they are housed. 

The Government says Housing First has housed 720 households, including 452 children in Auckland alone since 2017 and it's now also helping house long-term homeless people in Hamilton, Christchurch, Tauranga and Rotorua. 

The programme will be provided in Wellington and Lower Hutt by Kahungunu Whanāu Services and a collective led by the Downtown Community Ministry - now known as DCM - and including Emerge Aotearoa, the Wellington Night Shelter and the Wellington Homeless Women’s Trust. 

Announcing the scheme's Wellington launch, Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford said: "Housing is a basic human right and allows people to live with dignity. Our Government is committed to tackling homelessness."

"That’s why we made it an investment priority for the second consecutive year, with $197 million in this year’s Wellbeing Budget to turn around the lives of an extra 1000 long-term homeless people. This takes the number of funded Housing First places throughout the country to 2,700."

Mayor of Wellington Justin Lester welcomed the initiative and emphasised the need for more housing and critical services for the city’s most vulnerable.

"On any given night we know approximately 60-80 Wellingtonians are sleeping rough on our city’s streets. We know that homelessness is not an easy fix, but the Housing First programme allows us to provide the wrap-around support services that people need to sustain their homes," Mr Lester said. 

"This initiative builds on Council’s commitment to public and affordable housing in the city," he said.

“We are delighted to partner with Housing New Zealand, DCM and Kahungunu Whānau Services to help people into a permanent home."

Housing First will be begin operating in Blenheim on July 1 with further programmes to start in Northland, Hawke’s Bay and Nelson.

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