‘Not enough done’ to fix homelessness

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff concedes ‘‘not enough’’ has been done to fix the region’s ballooning chronic homelessness, and he says it is getting worse.

Goff yesterday announced a $375,000 homelessness census would be carried out in Auckland for the first time in an effort to eradicate the region’s rapidly growing rough sleeper problem.

The census will take place on September 17 between 9.30pm and 12.30am.

It will account for people living in cars and on the street to give officials a ‘‘snapshot’’ of the extent of the problem.

Goff conceded ‘‘not enough has been done’’ to understand and to try to solve the problem – officials have little data on the size and nature of what he calls a ‘‘chronic homelessness’’ problem in Auckland. ‘‘We are dealing with a situation that has got progressively worse as house prices have gone up, as rents have spiralled upwards,’’ he said.

‘‘Yes, we have to do a lot more, yes ... a survey like this would’ve been useful five years ago, so we had a benchmark to say: well how have things changed between then and now?

‘‘The best time time to start something that’s been needed in the past was yesterday. The second best time is today.’’ Stuff pressed Goff on who was to blame for failing to quantify the extent of the problem. ‘‘I could turn this into a political rally,’’ he said.

‘‘The intention of the meeting today ... is to say this is what we need to do now – let’s scope the size of the problem, let’s look at what we’re achieving at the moment, let’s look at what more we need to do to get the solution as good as it can be.’’

The census would cover the region from Wellsford in the north to Waiuku in the south, Piha in the west and the Hunua Ranges in the east.

Goff said it aimed to help ‘‘end homelessness, not just manage it’’.

Housing First Auckland project manager Fiona Hamilton said work completed during the 2013 census suggested there were 771 people sleeping without shelter across the region.

Another study, by Auckland City Mission chief executive Chris Farrelly, estimated 179 people were sleeping rough within 3 kilometres of the Sky Tower. Hamilton said it was unclear how accurate those numbers were, hence the region-wide count.

Goff indicated the overall problem could be worse.

‘‘There’s been estimates that homelessness in Auckland, on the widest definition, may be as many as 26,000 people, but within that category there are the people that are chronically and severely homeless – sleeping in cars and sleeping on the streets,’’ he said.

The count would be the first time a tally of this nature had taken place in New Zealand. Hamilton said 750 volunteers were needed to complete the ‘‘point in time’’ count.