Solving homelessness

“Taking a ‘thinking outside the square’ approach, organisations…are now working together to create a community-wide response to the complex issue of homelessness”

People sleeping rough is a complex issue that no one organisation can solve alone.

It takes a collaborative approach and many people working together. This is why the Wise Group is leading the multi-agency People’s Project in the heart of Hamilton to reduce the city’s homeless population – to zero.

Taking a ‘thinking outside the square’ approach, organisations including the Wise Group, Waikato DHB, Hamilton City Council, the Ministry for Social Development, New Zealand Police, the Department of Corrections, Hamilton Central Business Association, Midlands Health, Te Puni Kōkiri and others are now working together to create a community-wide response to the complex issue of homelessness.

From the Project’s central city Garden Place office, a team works directly with homeless people to connect them with accommodation, income and other health and social supports in the community which assist them to return to independent living, including finding work.

We believe this is the first multi-agency initiative to address homelessness in New Zealand… and it’s working. In the project’s first 10 months, more than 80 people were supported into homes. www.thepeoplesproject.org.nz

Published on: 24 June 2015