Help-shop for homeless to open

Interested parties gather at the Rotorua District Council to find solutions for our homeless. Photo / Andrew Warner

A centrally located 'one-stop shop' to help homeless people find an overnight bed, food and a shower has been backed by Rotorua welfare support groups.

The central office will open next month, a meeting between Homeless Support Rotorua and support groups at Rotorua District Council heard yesterday.

The meeting, the third of its kind held in the past two months, provided an update on methods to address the problem of people, some as young as 9, living on the streets in Rotorua.

Despite concern any help offered would enable homeless people to continue with their lifestyle, a clear majority at the meeting supported the initiatives.

Homeless Support Rotorua (HSR) co-ordinator Amy Duckett said the office at Community House would be staffed five afternoons a week to provide homeless people help with emergency accommodation, showering, storage and laundry facilities.

HSR has published a 'quick guide' directory listing social service groups in Rotorua to fast-track help for the homeless at short notice, she said.

More funding was being sought to extend the maximum two-bed nights available for emergency accommodation, Ms Duckett said.

Currently city backpacker hostel Korowai House and Lifewise provide short-term accommodation for those in need.

Substantial work had been done in the past months to co-ordinate social service groups available to help, she said.

"We are not just wanting to offer accommodation but also help with mental health and drug and alcohol addiction issues."

However concern was raised any assistance would encourage homeless people to use the resources while continuing to live rough.

"Are we helping them to change, or just enabling them to maintain their current lifestyle?" asked Gary Husband, a retired church minister.

St Lukes Drop-In Centre helper Tim Edwards said a permanent facility should still be the goal for HSR.

"Quite a big effort is needed but that should be our aim."

Lifewise Auckland service manager Corie Haddock said HSR was moving in the right direction.

"It's a great start but it is a slow process and you can only progress step by step," he said after the meeting.

"It's important to think big and don't limit yourself."

Lifewise Auckland help, on average, 60-130 people a month.

The agency helped people to find their own accommodation through Trade Me, he said.

He had never met a homeless person who wanted to continue living rough, he said.

"Housing someone is easy, keeping them housed is the hard part."

"They just don't see any other opportunities available to them.

"If you address underlying issues such as alcohol or drugs you can help them make other choices with their lives."