Helping hand for the homeless

Park staff and city ambassadors will be trained on how to deal with the 300 or so homeless people who sleep rough in the central city as the first step in an action plan by the Auckland City Council.

The plan aims to address the gaps in services for the homeless by working closer with community agencies to improve services.

Council research showed there was a lack of emergency accommodation and 24-hour support services for homeless people.

As part of a three-year $135,000 budget for the action plan, an audit would be done of essential services provided by the council and others, such as toilets, showers, and baggage and document storage.