Taking to the streets for Auckland's homeless

Money raised from the 14 Hour Homeless event will go towards running The Salvation Army's Epsom Lodge.

A group of Aucklanders will be sleeping rough this week to raise funds for emergency accommodation for some of the city's most vulnerable and isolated citizens.

14 Hours Homeless will involve teams of three or more people spending the night in the open on cardboard or couches or in cars. The event, which kicks off on October 9, also aims to raise awareness of the plight of the city's homeless.

Money raised will go towards running The Salvation Army's Epsom Lodge. The lodge is a 94-bed facility that provides accommodation for those who have found themselves unable to live independently in the community.

Historically, it has accommodated men only but because of a lack of safe accommodation for women, Epsom Lodge now provides 12 beds for women in secure, self-contained units.

The facility also provides a specialised residential programme for youth.

All residents and their case managers develop individualised plans supported by a range of social services, health and counselling services and vocational and life skills programmes aimed at assisting them with the transition to independent and sustainable living in the community.

Epsom Lodge Director Captain Doug Newman says clients often come from very traumatic backgrounds. In addition, living on the streets or in temporary or crowded accommodation often takes a physical and emotional toll making homelessness very difficult to escape.

"Epsom Lodge provides a safe and stable environment where a person can pause, regroup and learn the skills that will help them successfully manage and eventually thrive independently in the community," he says.

Demand for the service has been consistently high for several years, due to a desperate shortage of affordable accommodation in Auckland, particularly for single men. Counties Manukau and Auckland have the highest levels of overcrowded living conditions in New Zealand, according to a Ministry of Health report based on 2013 census data.

14 Hours Homeless is also being run in Waitakere, Wellington, Napier, New Plymouth, Palmerston North and Invercargill.

Those wishing to take part or donate can find more information at http://14hourshomeless.org.nz/event/RoyalOak2015

14 Hours Homeless is run to support and raise awareness of World Homeless Day, which is on 10 October every year. Read more about World Homeless Day here.