Auckland ratepayers to help fund housing for the homeless

Auckland ratepayers will help fund expanded emergency housing for the city's homeless.

Auckland Council has approved spending $250,000 a year for the next two years for start-up costs of new emergency housing, including waiving regulatory costs and subsidising professional fees.

It has also earmarked $110,000 a year for the next three in its 10-year long-term plan to continue support for rough sleepers and other homeless people.

The funds will not actually provide more emergency housing, but the Ministry of Social Development is separately reviewing the need for more such housing, where homeless people are housed temporarily with social work support to help them find permanent housing and help with budgeting and other issues to make sure they can pay the rent or the mortgage.

Monte Cecilia Housing Trust executive David Zussman said recently that 14 agencies provided emergency housing in Auckland, but mainly for 237 individuals in hostels such as the Salvation Army's 100-bed Epsom Lodge.

There were only 35 units for families, including 13 at Monte Cecilia, but there were 2537 households on the waiting list for social housing in Auckland at the end of March.

Councillor Cathy Casey said the council aimed to end rough sleeping by 2020 by using the 10-year budget to deliver "real, tangible outcomes" for people who are homeless or sleeping rough.

The council will work with a range of agencies across Auckland to explore how we can get the most benefit out of the extra funding.