Councillors discuss begging bylaw

Councillor Terry Molloy's proposed begging ban in the CBD is merely the beginning of a discussion around the issue. File photo.

A collaborative approach to addressing homelessness, which has successfully removed most rough sleepers from Hamilton streets in two years, will soon begin operating in Tauranga.

The People's Project adapted the Housing First model, begun in California in the late 1980s, for the New Zealand context, coordinating services from a central office in Garden Place.

In two years it saw almost all rough sleepers removed from Hamilton streets and assisted and housed more than 800 individuals and families.

At a council meeting today, Tauranga city councillors revealed a similar project is about to begin operating in Tauranga.

They referred to Housing First being about to open in Tauranga during discussion of Councillor Terry Molloy's notice of motion seeking to ban begging and rough sleeping from the Tauranga central business district .

Hamilton's the People's Project is a central hub where the different agencies involved can work together.

It is a community collaboration including Hamilton City Council, New Zealand Police, Ministry of Social Development, Child, Youth and Family, Housing New Zealand, Department of Corrections, Waikato District Health Board, Midlands Health, Hamilton Central Business Association, Te Puni Kookiri, and Wise Group.

Its focus has been to move vulnerable people into appropriate housing and immediately provide access to the services they need to address the issues that led to their homelessness.

Terry's notice of motion directing staff to look into a bylaw banning begging and rough sleeping and to report back to council was carried – but with several councillors stating they will not vote for such a bylaw.

Terry himself says the homeless may be removed from the CBD by an agency other than his bylaw.

In reply to a question from Councillor Steve Morris about how such a bylaw would be enforced, Terry says there's a new project about to start.

'We have a major project that is coming to Tauranga in the next month or two and they will be concentrating on housing the homeless, providing a wrap-around service,” says Terry.

'I believe once this organisation comes in and starts to provide that service – it won't kick in till after Christmas – that in itself will move most of the pressure off our streets and it will make enforcing the bylaw not quite as important as it might otherwise be.

But he adds that once the support is there for the rough sleepers who need it, a bylaw may help to enforce it.

'Because at that stage we will have a place for the homeless to go. If anybody needs help we will be able to direct them to support,” says Terry.

Seconder of the motion Councillor Bill Grainger says the concerns from the public and retailers include an increasing level of aggression.

'Some are coming in groups,” says Bill. 'The people that phoned me said the concern was the homeless are tending to be quite pushy in regards asking for money. And some of them are also begging for their addictions.”

Bill says the Nelson bylaw states council officers will work with social agencies to try and find solutions as a first response to people they find sleeping rough.

In Tauranga it is a problem, and discussing the bylaw gives the council the opportunity to go to the next step – public discussion around doing something about it, says Bill.

Councillor Leanne Brown also mentioned begging-to-fuel-addictions in the context of Christchurch's homeless discussion, and as canvassed in comments on SunLive Facebook today.

'Some are doing it to supplement the income they already have for substance abuse,” says Leanne.

'I guess my question is how do our staff separate the genuine homeless from those who are doing it to fuel substance abuse, which we know is really, really harmful?”

'By the time this bylaw comes into force the genuinely homeless will have a place to go they will be able to be housed. The balance, the not genuine will be asked to move on, it's as simple as that,” says Terry.

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6 comments

Maddog

Posted on 21-11-2017 18:40 | By Christine1965

Ive heard that some people just beg for money and they are not homeless and they make alot of money beging so they can buy smokes and booze you choose the way u live winz gives u money why not go boarding of flatting


Dont let them have money

Posted on 21-11-2017 19:04 | By MISS ADVENTURE

Give them a room/bed and deduct the rent, provide a card for groceries. That done will go a long way to resolution because then cant booze/drug/gamble all the money each week.


Willow St Getto

Posted on 22-11-2017 07:56 | By collydogz

While I sympathise with those that are truely homeless, I have little sympathy for those that spend their money on drugs, smokes and alcohol. Thats what happens with most of the homeless that hang out in Willow St. It has turned into a dive. A really bad look for visitors and tourists. While some may beg, what I have seen is stand over tactics and intimidation and their targets are the vulnerable eg handicapped people. The toilets there are practically unusable They are filthy and they are used for many other purposes other than for what they are intended. The council should have delt with this problem a long time ago.


Lots of room in the upcoming museum

Posted on 22-11-2017 09:26 | By Angels

With the council plan to build a museum. It will be totally available 99% of the time, make it into housing for the poor as then it will have a useful purpose. Not sitting costing the ratepayer a fortune for nothing.Council are planning many huge expenditures that can be multifasit as they are mostly useless as purposed. Make them into useable facilities. We have lots of poor people on the street.


Banning and Fines is not going to work

Posted on 22-11-2017 13:04 | By Lvdw

Banning the beggars/homeless or issuing them fines s not going to work. How do you tell the real from the fakers anyway. It is just going to stress the already overworked support people and police.I say don't give in to their begging. Definitely don't give them money. Buy them a sandwich if you really feel terrible. Or better still, get the address of a local shelter, print (or write) it onto a card and give that to them. If they genuinely need it they will use it. There is a young guy that busks at a local shopping area and whenever I see him I make sure to buy him a bag of fruit. One day when he thanked me he said he would never spend his money on fruit as it is a luxury for him, so receiving it from me is a blessing.


Get Rid of them

Posted on 22-11-2017 16:25 | By 82m

A friend of mine was harassed into handing over some money to a "begger" for some food or the bus or whatever their lie was. We then followed them straight to the nearest bar and watched them go into the pokies..


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