Agenda of Social Sustainability Subcommittee Meeting

1 Nau Mai | Welcome

2 Karakia a te Kaunihera | Council Blessing

I a mātou e whiriwhiri ana i ngā take kei mua i ō mātou aroaro

E pono ana mātou ka kaha tonu ki te whakapau mahara huapai mō ngā hapori e mahi nei mātou.

Me kaha hoki mātou katoa kia whaihua, kia tōtika tā mātou mahi,

Ā, mā te māia, te tiro whakamua me te hihiri

Ka taea te arahi i roto i te kotahitanga me te aroha.

As we deliberate on the issues before us,

We trust that we will reflect positively on the
communities we serve.

Let us all seek to be effective and just,

So that with courage, vision and energy,

We provide positive leadership in a spirit of harmony and compassion.

3 Whakapāha | Apologies

4 Te Tauākī o Te Whaitake ki ngā Mea o te Rārangi Take | Declarations of Interest Relating to Items on the Agenda

Notification from Elected Members of:

4.1 – any interests that may create a conflict with their role as an elected member relating to the items of business for this meeting, and

4.2 – any interests in items in which they have a direct or indirect pecuniary interest as provided for in the Local Authorities (Members’ Interests) Act 1968

5 He Wā Kōrero ki te Marea mō ngā Mea e Hāngai ana ki te Rārangi Take | Public Speaking Time for Items Relating to the Agenda

6 Ngā Take a Ngā Mema | Members’ Business

(a) Leave of Absence

(b) Matters of an Urgent Nature (advice to be provided to the Chair prior to the commencement of the meeting)

Social Sustainability Subcommittee Meeting Agenda

7 March 2024

7.2 Rapid Rehousing Advocate Funding and Homelessness Issues

Kaituhi | Author: Stephen Cross, Housing Programme Manager

Kaiwhakamana | Authoriser: Kris Pervan, Group Manager Strategy & Growth

Te pūtake | Purpose

1 To provide an introduction to the Rapid Rehousing Advocate Service and to update the Subcommittee on Council’s response to homelessness and the funding issues affecting the Advocate role.

Taunakitanga | RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Social Sustainability Subcommittee:

A. Note the update from the Kāpiti Rapid Rehousing Advocate (Tanya Barrington) and Kāpiti Impact Trust (Carole Jowett, Business Manager) around their service, which fills gaps in local service provision, and ongoing funding issues for continued service.

B. Note the update from Council staff to respond to homelessness and work collaboratively with the Kāpiti Rapid Rehousing Advocate service to assist people in finding accommodation and wrap around support in Kāpiti.

C. Note that Council has granted $30K funding in support of this service for several years, alongside wider funding, however a more permanent funding solution will be necessary for future years.

D. Note that funding requests to the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development have been unsuccessful to date.

E. Agree to invite the responsible Ministers, and Chief Executive Officers, and the Senior Officials, of the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to attend a future Committee meeting to discuss the gaps in local services for homelessness and importance of funding these services.

Tūāpapa | Background

2 Council’s Housing Needs Assessment 2022 identified a need for more housing across the Housing Continuum including more options to prevent homelessness in the district.

3 The Housing Needs Assessment specifically identified housing need associated with people facing precarious housing and / or homelessness, which wasn’t been addressed by central government.

a. It is difficult to assess levels of homeless in the community, as noted in the Needs Assessment “participants in workshops emphasised the level of hidden homelessness, there are a number of people rough sleeping, but many more are living in cars, tents, containers, couch surfing, or living with friends. Some people are choosing to live like this because of perceptions that boarding houses and emergency housing are dangerous”.

b. Actions identified in the Strategy related to homelessness include continuing to advocate for quick responses to emerging homelessness issues and for responses to include wrap-around support and to ensure Council’s role responding to homelessness is clear.

He take | issues

Homelessness

4 Although Council is not a direct service provider to homeless whanau, we do undertake a number of roles in the local community including, referrer, funder, advocate and co-ordinator. Of note:

a. Council is approached on a regular basis by members of the public seeking assistance for people they have identified as potentially homeless, including reports of rough sleepers and people sleeping in tents and vehicles.

b. Council staff also observe and report homelessness in their day to day work. The area surrounding the community centre and library in Paraparaumu regularly attracts rough sleepers and staff will often observe homelessness in the area.

c. From a regularoty role, Council contractors are requested to dismantle for health and safety reasons people who are sleeping in the doorways of the community centre, in tents on the green areas, in their cars and even in a temporary treehouse.

d. As previously discussed with you, Council processes and procedures in relation to receiving reports of homelessness and referal to appropriate agencies have been reviewed and strengthened. The review has improved cooperation, communication and reporting across Council teams including Housing, Connected Communities, Environmental Standards and Compliance.The process includes confirming cases of homelessness as opposed to people who are freedom camping.

5 Council staff deal with at least 2-3 identified homelessness or potential homeless situations per month. Since January 2023, 35 cases have been recorded, resulting in 13 referals to the Housing Kāpiti Rapid Rehousing Advocate. There will often be multiple interactions with cases reported to Council, given the complexities often involved in these situations. Council is one source of referrals to the Advocate.

6 Officers have noted a growth in the complexity of homelessness issues Council has been involved in, particulalry the difficulty providing assistance to people who experience mental health challenges and who are homeless.

7 The low level of Public Housing in Kāpiti District has implications for addressing the needs of people facing precarious housing and / or homelessness. Services are unable to offer the most appropriate Housing First Service to people who are experiencing homelessness. This approach is important as it ensures whanau are permanently housed before services are wrapped around the whanau.

8 The lack of Public Housing in the district means solutions offered to people who are homeless are often temporary in nature.

Kāpiti Rapid Rehousing Advocate Funding

9 Tanya Barrington, Kāpiti Rapid Rehousing Advocate and Carole Jowett, Business Manager, Kāpiti Impact Trust are attending the Social Sustainability Subcommittee meeting to discuss the service provided and ongoing funding issues for the continued provision of the service.

10 The Advocate role was established following the collaboration of a number of social service agencies who came together having identified the need for the service. The Advocate is employed by the Kāpiti Impact Trust, seconded to Hora Te Pai Health Services (“HTP”). HTP provides the Advocate’s line manager, office space and support.

11 Council officers have a strong working relationship with the service and regularly refers people identified as homeless to the service.

12 We find a service providing assistance to homeless people that is not aligned to government or part of a government agency is useful, particulalry when working with people who are suspicious of government. We have noted a growing need to assist people who have issues interacting with govenment, often these issues appear to relate to mental health. Other advantages of the service are that the Advocate will visit the person at the place they are in the community rather than the person having to visit an office or contact via an 0800 number.

13 The advocate works across organisations, tapping into services and resources to directly support clients. The Advocate provides help to navigate various agencies to access accommodation and identify entitlements for support and wrap around services.

14 Although the service secured sufficient funding to be established and has operated since 2022, it does not have a secure funding base past 31 July 2024. Funding to date has been provided by:

a. Kāpiti Coast District Council (circa $30K per annum for several years).

b. Wellington Community Trust.

c. Department of Internal Affairs (Lotteries).

d. Ministry of Social Development.

e. Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has declined funding on two occassions.

15 The responsible central government agencies are the Ministry of Social Development, who work with people who need housing support and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development who are responsible for government strategy, policy, funding, monitoring, and regulation of housing and urban development including addressing homelessness.

16 Unsuccessful applications for funding were made to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Local Innovation and Partnership Fund in February 2022 and again in January 2023. We were advised funding was oversubscribed and the allocation panel had decided “to prioritise applications from rural and isolated areas with high deprivation, highest need, fewer support services available and limited investment.

17 The Ministry of Social Development no longer contributes funding to the service. We understand the Ministry had a perception the service duplicated their own services.

18 Funding requirements are approximately $140K per year, this is primarily to cover the following costs – personnel etc.

Ngā kōwhiringa | Options

19 Assisting people who require housing support, particular very low-income people is clearly a responsibility of central government.

20 A meeting with the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development along with the service will assist to highlight the usefulness of the service and the importance and need for ongoing funding.

ngā Mahi panuku | next steps

21 Homelessness issues and funding of services will be discussed at the next meeting of Te Urunga Whakakāinga o Kāpiti: Place Based Housing Steering Group in March 2024. The Group includes representatives from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Kainga Ora.

22 Council will continue to support and advocate for the Kāptiti Rapid Rehousing Advocate service.

23 Contact will be made with other Local Authorities in the Region to understand what services are operating in other areas and how they are funded.

Ngā āpitihanga | Attachments

Nil


RĀRANGI TAKE AGENDA Te Komiti Whāiti Toitūtanga Pāpori \| Social Sustainability Subcommittee Meeting
I hereby give notice that a Meeting of the Te Komiti Whāiti Toitūtanga Pāpori \| Social Sustainability Subcommittee will be held on:
Te Rā \| Date:	Thursday, 7 March 2024
Te Wā \| Time:	9.30am
Te Wāhi \| Location:	Council Chamber Ground Floor, 175 Rimu Road Paraparaumu
Sonja Williams Acting Group Manager Customer and Community

Cr Martin Halliday	Chair
Cr Rob Kofoed	Deputy
Mayor Janet Holborow	Member
Deputy Mayor Lawrence Kirby	Member
Cr Kathy Spiers	Member
Cr Nigel Wilson	Member
Mr Huriwai Paki	Member
Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai (André Baker or Janine Huxford)	Member
Ms Kim Tahiwi	Member
Mr Guy Burns	Member
Mr Jonny Best	Member
Mrs Jackie Elliott	Member
Ms Sorcha Ruth	Member
Mr Michael Moore	Member