Wrap-around services aim to end long emergency housing stays

Monday, November 18th, 2024

A new initiative aims to provide tailored support to people who have been sheltered in emergency housing for over a year, helping them transition to permanent accommodation.

Wellington City Mission and Emerge Aotearoa in Waikato are the first organisations to deliver the two-year trial. Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka announced that up to 100 participants will receive personalised assistance to address complex needs.

Wrap-around services could include access to healthcare, budgeting advice, employment support, counselling and tenancy guidance. Help with reconnecting to family and community would also be provided.

Critical gaps addressed

Murray Edridge (pictured with Tama Potaka), Chief Executive of Wellington City Mission, welcomed the initiative saying it addresses critical gaps in existing support systems.

Eldridge said he opposed emergency housing “for a long time” because of the lack of support for those using it. “They don’t leave better than they came… I suspect they leave worse”.

“This gives us the opportunity to work more creatively with people, helping them make good decisions and transition to a better housing situation” he said. “Housing alone isn’t the solution – addressing challenges like mental health, addiction and family disconnection is just as vital.”

Trusted to deliver

The trial is part of a broader government effort to reduce reliance on emergency housing. The goal is to cut its use by 75% by 2030.

Potaka said the first focus in achieving the target was to move “whānau with tamariki out of emergency housing motels and into more stable housing through our Priority One policy”.

Earlier measures have helped move hundreds of families, including more than 1400 children, into stable accommodation.

Edridge said the City Mission and Emerge Aotearoa were being trusted to deliver what was needed rather than doing just what the government told them to do.

“This is an opportunity where the government has said ‘We trust you as a provider … to do some things a wee bit differently and be innovative in how you approach the issues’ – so that is different, that is new, and I hope it will enable us to make real progress with some of the people who have been in emergency housing for way too long.”