Summarised by Centrist
More than forty community organisations, advocates and opposition MPs have signed an open letter asking the government to withdraw any plan to ban rough sleepers from Auckland’s central city.
The letter, fronted by Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick comes after ministers confirmed they were considering move-on powers that would allow police to direct unhoused people away from the CBD.
Several people who have experienced homelessness told media they were unsure where rough sleepers would go if the city centre were restricted.
Others said the pressures facing those on the street were increasing, and that enforcement alone would not improve conditions.
Awatea Tuhura Mita of the Youth and Justice Coalition said removing people from visible areas would not resolve underlying causes. “If we want to end youth homelessness, we must end the conditions that create it, not the visibility of the people living through it.”
Youth worker Aaron Hendry said outreach and emergency support needed to remain close to where rough sleepers gather. He argued that distancing people from the city would delay help. “We have an opportunity to connect with them quickly and get them the support they need,” he said.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told media the government was still considering move-on orders as part of a wider plan to improve safety in the CBD. “We actually have to solve the problem,” he said. Housing Minister Simeon Brown noted recent funding for additional social homes and said providers were expected to work quickly to house rough sleepers.
Editor’s note: Chlöe Swarbrick wants rough sleeping to remain in the CBD. Her Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson held the homelessness role through a period when rough sleeping surged nationwide, rising 37 percent according to the latest government data.
