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Homelessness
Introduction |
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Introduction
Homelessness is an issue that can affect the whole community. The homeless population includes men, women and children of all ages and ethnic backgrounds.
It is not always obvious what causes people to become homeless. But without coordinated support and intervention, it is an issue that is likely to develop
as our city grows.
Auckland City Council is committed to caring for all its citizens. In order to do this we need to make sure the needs of our homeless people are met, and
that we limit the impact of homelessness on our city.
Homelessness can create social issues within a city and can affect peoples' perceptions of safety.
Resolving issues of homelessness is not something that the council can
achieve on its own. In conjunction with other major stakeholders who deal with homeless issues on a daily basis, Auckland City
Council has developed a Homeless Action Plan to address these problems.
The plan aims to expand and coordinate the services available to homeless people in the city. It also aims to promote greater awareness in central
government of the needs of homeless people.
Auckland City Council has committed $135,000 over the next 3 years (2005-2008) to support initiatives that respond to homelessness. This will build on
the extensive efforts of community agencies, who have committed substantial resources to homelessness over many years. The Homeless Action Plan is intended
to also act as a catalyst to encourage central government to resource areas of work that would benefit outcomes for homeless people.
With increased awareness of the causes of homelessness, better coordination of services, policies and funding from central government we can work towards
addressing the issue of homelessness in Auckland city.
What is homelessness?
Homelessness includes:
- rough sleepers, who have no shelter and live in public places
- people who are living in sheltered accommodation, or crisis accommodation and may not be able to return home due to issues of domestic violence
- people who have no permanent shelter. Those who sleep on the floor or couch of a relative or friend
- people who live in overcrowded housing or shared accommodation that is not secure or safe.
Who are the homeless?
There are up to 100 rough sleepers in Auckland city and an estimated 300-400 people living without permanent or secure housing. As the city grows so will
the homeless population.
People become homeless for many different reasons. They can be homeless for a long time or for intermittent periods throughout their lives.
Women, men and young people are amongst the homeless population in Auckland. Due to a lack of services targeting women and young people, these groups are
at particular risk.
What causes homelessness?
People do not generally decide to become homeless. It is usually a result of complex issues. Many homeless people have histories of physical, emotional
and/or sexual abuse. They also experience, issues around self-harm, addiction, domestic violence and mental health problems.
The perception of homeless people can often become confused with other social issues and create additional concerns around the perception of public
safety.
It is sometimes assumed that people gathering in groups in public spaces are homeless, or that people who are intoxicated in public places are homeless -
when this is not always the case.
Homeless people are amongst the most vulnerable in the city and need support and practical help to find a more secure way of life.
This information is also available in a leaflet.
Contact us if you would like a copy of the leaftlet or more information.
Updated November 2009
