Chronic homelessness up 50 percent across New Plymouth
Photo:
RNZ / Robin Martin
People working with the homeless in Taranaki say there are more people who need help, and their needs are becoming more complex.
This comes as new government figures show the number of unhoused people nationwide
is increasing.
The temperature is in single digits when the team from the
new YMCA men's night shelter
sets out to deliver a cargo of donated Pātea Hangi Shop kai to the homeless in New Plymouth.
But a warm welcome awaits when they pull up on Devon Street in the central city.
A man, who gave his name as Drake, was one of about half a dozen people sheltering under shop awnings.
He'd given up looking for a home.
"I choose not to get a house now. This system made me this way so now I'm comfortable with it. I can't sleep on mattresses and that, you know what I mean."
Even the cold didn't bother him.
"It's easy ... nah it's not but because I've been doing it for a while homelessness is easy.
"The only thing anyone ever wants is a bath and I do that everyday anyway. Sink, water, you know what I mean."
Shelter manager Adam Douglass and YMCA social services manager Kylie Ewing in the under construction men's night shelter and at its entrance. Homeless will be picked up and delivered to the shelter which will be dry.
Photo:
RNZ / Robin Martin
Drake's looking forward to be able to use the night shelter's laundry.
"For me personally, because I like being clean that's highly important, so that's great. A welcome addition to the homeless circle.
"Before I'd wash my clothes myself and hang it on the main street before the council came around and is hassling us, you know.
"Now they can get washed and dried without having to wait days for them to dry."
Drake's bunkered the hangi for breakfast because he'd eaten at Waimanako / the Hope Centre earlier.
Paul had a history of homeless and stopped by to hang with his mates.
Photo:
RNZ / Robin Martin
Paul's paying a social visit.
"I've just come down to see the fellas and catch up and have a laugh, and be smart to some people, and have a joke, and a laugh, yeah."
The 55-year-old's got a unit now, but had history of living rough.
"Across the road from council, they had the buildings that they pulled down there and we just broke into there, me and another guy.
"We had this whole building to ourselves. They ended up pulling it down, but we were sweet. We had toilets, water, you know, we were pretty much set up."
In between drop offs, night shelter manager Adam Douglass explained the city's housing need was complicated.
"We've got concrete sleepers, for example, we've got people sleeping in cars, people couch surfing, people sleeping in people's garages. It's a really complex situation."
Those living on Devon Street have had a lot of attention but the night RNZ visited, the YMCA team also checked in with people all over town.
People sheltering in pop-up tents on a church stoop, a man living in a car parked behind a popular takeaway, a group now barred from the CBD who were hold up at the Moturoa shops, and even one young man at campground.
New Plymouth YMCA men's night shelter manager Adam Douglass with hangi.
Photo:
RNZ / Robin Martin
Social services manager at the Y, Kylie Ewing, said there were about 1000 people in housing need in the city alone.
"So, within that 1000 you can generally expect about about 5 percent of those to be chronically long-term rough sleepers, so those are the ones we see on our streets."
Census figures - which the Homelessness Insights Report is based on - show district wide in New Plymouth there were about 78 rough sleepers in 2023 - up more than 50 percent on five years ago - about 50 of those people scratched together a life in the city itself.
In Taranaki, there were about a further 40 chronically homeless people in the Stratford District (9) and the South Taranaki District (29).
Ewing said this group faced entrenched, complex challenges - including long-term mental health issues, substance dependency, and the absence of stable support networks.
She said these were not short-term crises but enduring struggles, and the food run was about building relationships ahead of offering consistent, compassionate, and culturally grounded care.
Paul was onboard with that.
"They said somebody's bringing a hangi down, so I thought I might stick around, eh."
Social worker Mel Mitchell prepares to deliver hangi.
Photo:
RNZ / Robin Martin
Ewing said the shelter - which would have about 20 bed and 30 storage lockers - would be a dry facility.
The homeless would be picked up and brought directly to the purpose-built Whare o Tapatahi.
"It's a trauma-informed, culturally responsive practice model-rooted in te ao Māori values that prioritises safety, trust, empowerment, and collaboration.
"Staff are trained to uphold manaakitanga and whakawhanaungatanga, ensuring that every interaction respects the dignity and autonomy of some of our most vulnerable tāne."
Ewing said by focusing on the chronically homelessness, Whare o Tapatahi would not just be offering shelter - it would offering a pathway to healing and stability.
She hoped in the near future to be able to offer a similar service to women.
The New Plymouth District Council and Toi Foundation had committed $1.2 million to the set up and operation of the YMCA men's night shelter.
After some fit-out hick-ups it planed to open in September.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
an hour ago
- Scoop
Parents Cautiously Optimistic About Waving Goodbye To NCEA
A Dunedin mum is hopeful the changes to NCEA will benefit her Year 7 son, but another says she's a "bit scared". The government has pulled the pin on New Zealand's official secondary-school qualification after more than 20 years. The National Certificate of Educational Achievement will be gone by 2030, replaced by a basic literacy and numeracy award at Year 11, and the Certificate of Education and Advanced Certificate of Education at Years 12 and 13. 'Achieved', 'not achieved', 'merit' and 'excellence' will be replaced by marks out of 100 and letter grades A, B, C, D and E. The new certificates would be standards-based, like the NCEA is, meaning every student passes if they demonstrate the required knowledge or skills, but they would have to study at least five complete subjects and pass four of them to get their certificate. A Dunedin mum, who RNZ has agreed not to name to protect the identity of her child, was optimistic about the move. "It will be an advantage to him because it gives that nice, stringent 'I know what I need to head for, I need to study really hard for this'." She called NCEA a "step backwards", saying the change was a return of a more structured way of learning and a focus on core subjects. "As an employer of people coming out of university, I can tell you it kind of sets them up a little bit for failure in real life," she said. "I find that the English levels, the maths levels and science levels coming out for students just isn't quite as good as some of the historical stuff that I've seen coming out of the older styles." Another mum, who has a son just starting university and a daughter in Year 9, said the NCEA system was confusing. "Even I couldn't understand this credit system and achieved system. I always thought 'what is this? Credits? Credits?'. "But one thing I've noticed, if he knows he has got enough credits, then he decides he's not going to work any harder." The new grading system could push them to study harder or discourage them from learning, she said. "As a parent, I am a bit scared, to be honest." She was uncertain how students would respond to the changes, saying it would depend on how they were implemented. A grandmother who lived with her Year 8 grandson said she was on board with the changes if they helped students. "That's what I would be hoping for. Something that makes it easier for the kids to show that they've really, really tried and that they do want to be at school and they want to learn and that they want to get a job when they get away from school, and that they want a better life." But she was worried some students might choose to drop out if they had to pass four of their five subjects to get one of the new certificates. "That does sound a bit tough because if a child or a young adult can't handle exams - to pass four subjects may just be beyond their capability," she said.
NZ Herald
9 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Farming native wildlife: Could commercialisation boost conservation efforts?
However, weka are protected and considered a vulnerable species - there are thought to be between 70,000 to 120,000 weka. 'The weka is an interesting species in New Zealand because it's not quite endangered as other native species like the kākāpō or takahē.' He said New Zealand's conservation efforts were at a 'crossroads', with mounting ecological and funding challenges, requiring some number 'From an economic and institutional perspective, commercialisation presents an opportunity for self-sustaining species management through strategic resource redistribution throughout the conservation sector.' In international examples, such as buffalo in parts of Southern Africa and alligators in the United States, Mark said commercialisation had ultimately led to an increase in numbers for those animals. However, commercialisation could also lead to further population decline, like the overfishing of North Atlantic Cod off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Locally, he also drew from the tītī or muttonbird harvest experience; Rakiura Stewart Island whanau and hapū are able to harvest muttonbird between April 1 and May 31 each year. Though they are primarily harvested for cultural or customary purposes, they can also be sold commercially. Mark said it had worked 'quite successfully', noting the importance of any commercialisation aligning with Māori perspectives on the practice and the Treaty of Waitangi. 'It is the most distinctive example of ongoing sustainable native bird harvest in New Zealand.' Mark said that commercialisation offered a way for many different groups in New Zealand to become directly involved in conservation, including Māori, landowners and hunters. It could also allow for both conservation and economic gains, he said. He said a more detailed analysis would need to be worked through before such a policy was enacted. - RNZ
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- RNZ News
Neurodiverse man overwhelmed by Jobseeker admin comes off weekly support
Photo: RNZ A young neurodiverse man who was on the Jobseeker benefit says the sheer number of forms to fill, job websites to join and roles to apply for each week was so overwhelming he decided to come off the weekly support. Autism NZ warns that is extremely concerning and common but the Ministry of Social Development said its staff are there to help and support is on offer. The man - who wishes to remain anonymous - has dyslexia and dyspraxia, making administrative tasks taxing and sometimes overwhelming. To show how much paperwork he was required to do, he measured the file holding documents related to being on the Jobseeker benefit. "It is a full centimetre thick, the file that I have. Most of it is from when I was applying, there's a few brochures, my last payslip, a bunch of stuff from Inland Revenue, the MSD job hunter booklet, multiple bank statements, my dad's death certificate." He is in his 20s and was working for his dad, a plasterer, who sadly passed away in March. A few months later, he applied for the Jobseeker benefit but within weeks started to find the admin overwhelming. He needed to update his CV and provide his case manager with regular updates of his job searches, which included taking screenshots and keeping a list of companies, dates and responses - but he does not own a smartphone. "It is a hindrance to me when it comes to dealing with too much paperwork, admin, computers. I struggle with that," he said. "You have to reset one password and then you start getting more passwords wrong because you're frustrated and gets you on a negative loop until it just wears away at your sanity a bit. I can't take that." He told his case manager at Work and Income that the paperwork was too much and he wanted to come off the benefit - he was living at home and had started a part-time job but was hoping to complete a training course while on the benefit with the aim of getting full-time work. He said he believed his ability to cope with admin was the problem, not Work and Income to whom he did not disclose his disability because he felt a bit embarrassed and ashamed. Autism NZ chief executive Dane Dougan said he regularly hears from people who have given up on the benefit process. "It's really concerning. We are hearing a lot, we don't capture those numbers ... but based on the number of people coming to us in these situations it certainly seems quite common." Dougan said most people who came off the benefit by choice had family support - but not all.. "The outcomes ... for our neurodivergent and autistic people who lose access to the benefit and can't pay their bills, they could end up homeless or they could end up incarcerated and all those things are potentially a flow on effect for making it very difficult admin wise for our community to get a benefit so it's extremely concerning." An advocate who helps people navigate the benefit system, Allison Tinsdale, said the number of forms to fill is actually scary for some people. "It's mainly that I see people's reactions ... we have three one-page forms and I don't even like giving that to a client straight off because we've got too many people with writing issues to say fill out a form first, I say can we have a chat first then we'll see if we need to fill out anything." Ministry of Social Development's group general manager client service delivery, Graham Allpress, said people who receive a work-tested benefit may have full or part-time work obligations, or work preparation obligations, depending on their situation. "Obligations will vary depending on the main benefit type and people's individual circumstances, including the number and ages of dependent children, and a person's medically assessed capacity to participate in employment," he said. "Based on discussions with the client, case managers will identify the most appropriate activities that will enable the person to move towards or into employment at the earliest opportunity." Allpress said these activities could include "engaging with available support to create a CV, attending driver license training or an industry specific training programme or applying for suitable jobs and keeping a record of who has been approached". He said MSD staff consider each person's individual circumstances before referring them to a job or an activity. A MSD regional commissioner, Lynda Smardon, said they understand applying for a benefit and meeting the obligations can be challenging for some people. Helping people apply for a benefit and meet their obligations, is a core part of what our case managers do every day." She said when they know a person is neurodiverse they can offer support. "He did not tell us about any disability or health condition which made it difficult for him to search for work or meet any of the activities that may need to be met as part of receiving a benefit." Smardon said the man's case manager followed up to check on his decision to opt out of the benefit and offer support - but the man said he just had a few missed calls. "MSD staff consider each person's individual circumstances before referring them to a job or an activity and have support available if people are having difficulty meeting their obligations," Smardon said. "This includes support with updating a CV, referral to a Work Broker to help with job applications, and referrals to other service providers." She said there are also regional health and disability teams, whose role is to support MSD's frontline staff to ensure that disabled whanau or people with health conditions get the right support. Dougan said there is still stigma attached to neurodiversity in the workplace which could put people off from telling MSD they have a disability. "Stigma is absolutely a problem because it's still quite widely misunderstood, particularly in the employment space. A lot of autistic people we hear from would be reluctant to disclose that they are autistic to work and Income staff and then that makes it difficult to provide extra support." He said some of it came down to training and ensuring Work and Income staff were equipped to recognise when a person needed help. The young man who came off the benefit said all he really needed was direct communication, face to face or over the phone. "It would be more personal interactions I think it would have been better if I'd been able to get all of that information I needed from an actual person." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
