Ministers urged to walk the streets as rough-sleeping crisis deepens

Monday, 18 August 2025

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Frustrated by rising social need and strained local services, residents and business owners in a city suburb are demanding ministers see the situation for themselves.

An open letter, signed by local groups and businesses, says Wellington’s Newtown has seen a sharp increase in people arriving with complex social needs, alongside public intoxication, drug use, antisocial behaviour and safety concerns.

Housing, mental health and addiction services are under severe strain, leaving local providers and volunteers struggling to cope.

Advocates say Newtown’s pressures—from visible homelessness to overstretched support services—mirror challenges in towns and cities across New Zealand, particularly in urban centres where demand far outstrips supply.

Signatories include the Newtown Residents’ Association, Dwell Housing Trust, the Salvation Army, Newtown Community Centre, shop owners, hospitality operators and the Island Bay United football club.

They call for four urgent steps: more investment in wraparound support services; rapid delivery of shovel-ready housing projects; a co-ordinated, cross-agency response to ensure safety and dignity; and for ministers and councillors to walk the streets with them to see the challenges first-hand.

Captain Andrew Wilson of the Salvation Army’s Newtown corps said the street community had grown “anywhere from 50% to a doubling” since the start of the year, with many people arriving from outside the area. “Even members of that community are telling us they’re seeing a lot of new faces,” he said.

He attributed the influx to policy changes and Newtown’s proximity to key services, including the hospital. The street community now includes people sleeping in cars after losing jobs, as well as rough sleepers battling addiction and antisocial behaviour. Up to 100 people a day use the Salvation Army’s drop-in centre.

Residents report more confrontations in public spaces—from persistent approaches outside shops and ATMs to drug paraphernalia in bus stops and near schools. “Parents are having to teach their six- or eight-year-olds what’s safe to touch,” Wilson said.

The Salvation Army released data showing 1 in every 1000 New Zealanders is currently without shelter. It partly blamed difficulty accessing emergency housing, highlighting a 386% rise in Ministry of Social Development rejections citing that people had “contributed to their own homelessness”.

Wilson stressed most of the street community are simply seeking a safe, warm place to rest, but the situation is taking a toll on local confidence and safety. He called for “co-ordinated leadership at all levels—central, local, and community.”

“This isn’t a political issue, it’s a societal issue,” he said. “The ultimate solution is a community supporting its street community to regain belonging, re-engage with work, and reconnect with society—but it will take everyone to achieve that.”

Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka acknowledged the letter but made no commitment to meet residents. He said homelessness was “a complex problem New Zealand has been grappling with for decades” and not just an issue of housing supply. The Government is “backing actual support services with more than $500 million a year, while fixing the broken housing system to deliver the right homes, in the right places, with the right support.”

Potaka said ministers had asked officials for advice on targeted interventions and were open to new ideas “that will make an enduring difference.”

The letter had the support of MP Julie Anne Genter, Mayor Tory Whanau, the city’s deputy mayor Laurie Foon, and several Wellington and Greater Wellington councillors.

Genter said having ministers walk the streets would “help focus the mind.”

“When you see and look in the eyes of people who’ve been rejected from emergency housing or have been on a waitlist and can’t get into a house, it makes it harder to brush that off,” she said.

Newtown is “emblematic of a wider problem throughout the country” but under added strain from government decisions, including the cancellation of Kāinga Ora housing projects and a lack of new contracts for community housing providers, she said. One local provider, Dwell, has land ready to build dozens of units if given the go-ahead.

Genter also criticised emergency housing policy changes, saying they had “led to more homelessness, more rough sleeping,” leaving charities scrambling to fill the gap.

In a joint statement, Whanau, Foon, and local councillor Nureddin Abdurahman said: “Given the scale and nature of these challenges—mental health, addiction, long-term trauma, and supported housing—a coordinated national response, led and resourced by central government, is essential for lasting change, as these issues fall squarely within its remit.”

Whanau said she had asked for official advice on expanding a city safety plan and expected to receive it this week.

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* Quote from Julie Anne Genter about hundreds of houses corrected to dozens at the request of Dwell. August 18, 2025.