Home after 30 years on the street
‘‘My grandparents always taught me, help those who help you . . .’’
Tepi Amohia
For the first time in over 30 years, Tepi Amohia has a roof over his head and washing in the machine – aspects of life many of us take for granted.
Amohia said he struggled to swap the ‘‘freedom of the streets’’ for just four walls, so he slept in the park outside his house on his first night at home.
‘‘I’m happy though, to be in a house, because of my boy, and the dog, and my health.’’
Collective for the Homeless meetings have been held since October 2015, aiming to help homeless people into homes and employment, as well as linking them up with relevant agencies, including Work and Income New Zealand and the Ministry of Social Development.
The initiative is funded by New Zealand Red Cross, who said they have put around $50,000 towards the programme.
Amohia could often be found sitting near South City Mall on Colombo St or outside Burger King on Moorhouse Ave, with his muzzled dog Sasha.
He spent the past year on the streets with his 21-year-old son Nathan Eves.
‘‘My parents didn’t want to know me when I was young, so I got shipped out to my step-parents, but my step-mother kept beating me up.
‘‘I had enough of it, so I went out onto the streets when I was about 19.’’
Now 50, Amohia said he suffered from bronchitis, and needed chemotherapy for cancer in his left eye.
‘‘I don’t want to do chemo, because I’d lose all my hair, but one doctor said I should get it right away.’’
He said he wanted to focus on keeping his home clean and tidy, regaining his health and instilling values in his son.
‘‘My grandparents always taught me, help those who help you, so that’s what I’ve been doing, trying to help my son and the rest of those fellas out there.’’
Programme organiser Brenda Lowe-Johnson said Amohia was ‘‘tough to crack’’.
‘‘They’ll engage with you if you treat them properly – you just have to remind them there are people out there that care.’’
In the past eight months, she said Collective for the Homeless had rehoused 31 people and secured jobs for 12.
‘‘We’ve run four meetings so far, with attendance numbers always increasing. I amthankful to the supporting agencies – it wouldn’t work without them.’’
New Zealand Red Cross recovery manager Michael Donoghue said the programme addressed homelessness ‘‘from a grassroots level’’.
‘‘With high rent and a shortage of houses, there are multiple barriers stopping people from getting into homes, so we are just trying to help remove some of those barriers.’’
Alongside housing assistance, Donoghue said the meetings provided services to ‘‘make you feel human again’’, including health packages, blankets and even a hairdresser.
‘‘It’s giving people some respect, giving them their dignity back, and linking them in with organisations that can actually help get them jobs and further assistance.’’