Housing is a human right

LinkPeople has housed more than 40 rough sleepers in South Auckland as part of the Housing First Auckland collective. Reporter Chris Harrowell found out more.

This week the government released “A Stocktake of New Zealand’s Housing” February 2018 authored by Alan Johnson, Philippa Howden-Chapman, Shamubeel Eaqub. This report details the current state of housing markets and the housing system in New Zealand. In response to this report Lisa Woolley, CEO at VisionWest Community Trust made the following comments…

Starting in February last year, Lifewise and Auckland City Mission began providing housing and flexible community-based support for people experiencing chronic homelessness in the city centre. We support people who have found it most difficult to get off the streets: People who have been rough sleeping for a year or more, those who have at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years as well as two or more co-existing issues, such as addictions or mental health issues.

Project lead Julie Nelson said the findings from the report A stocktake of New Zealand’s Housing re-affirm the Housing First Auckland collective’s view that no single organisation, agency, service, department or sector can end homelessness working alone.

When a rough sleeper died on the steps of a Manurewa church last winter, community workers in South Auckland doubled down to find homeless residents somewhere to sleep. Yvonne Tahana met with Rami Alrudaini to find out how LinkPeople have been supporting the community using the Housing First approach.