Policy
At current, as described earlier in the report, Auckland Council collaborates with the Salvation Army, Lifewise, and the Auckland City Mission in strategising to end homelessness.[1] A Memorandum of Understanding between the Council, NGOs, and government service providers (including the Police, Housing New Zealand, and Child Youth and Family) sets out four main areas of policy (prevention, intervention, integrated services, and independence work) that are to use culturally relevant frameworks to assist people, ensure people don’t fall through gaps through data collection, build clear lines of national responsibility, increase services aimed at assisting the homeless, help prepare people for independence as they move towards long-term accommodation, and provide continued support for those who have been assisted into long-term accommodation.[2] However, Richards’ study of approaches to homelessness found that most policy and practice failed to realise the importance of considering Māori spiritual displacement as a result of disconnection from home.[3] Policy places little importance on human dignity and offers no consideration of the importance of being able to respond to changing needs of the homeless in relation to short- and long-term changes to the city.
Programmes
While no national-level policy or ministry addresses homelessness, those who are unable to claim state support (through information gaps, disqualifications, or choice) can then turn to service providers in Auckland for temporary and emergency accommodation, food and clothing, and skills development. As discussed in the background section, programmes tend to focus on assisting rough sleepers with their material needs, rather than on preventing homelessness. There is a gap between actual services offered and the goals set out in the Memorandum. There are significant overlaps in the services offered by each NGO. While policy goals set out to build culturally appropriate frameworks of engagement, programmes run by the non-government organisations offer little in the way of cultural engagement.[4] The focus on providing experiences for meaningful activity and social engagement in non-governmental programmes mean programmes consider two of Nussbaum’s capabilities: the importance of play and social engagement. However, other capabilities should also be considered in programme design and delivery.
[1] Auckland Homeless Steering Group, “Memorandum of Understanding: An Interagency Approach for Ending Rough Sleeping in Auckland City.”
[2] Ibid.
[3] Richards, “Homelessness in Aotearoa: Issues and Recommendations,” 11.
[4] Website descriptions of programmes offered for the homeleess by the Savation Army, Lifewise, and the Auckland City Mission were analysed for their consideration of cultural needs. A more thorough analysis of practice would need to be done to confirm the neglect of culture evident in programme descriptions. See: Lifewise, “The Lifewise Hub,” Lifewise, http://www.lifewise.org.nz/about-lifewise/our-services/the-lifewise-hub; The Salvation Army, “Hostels.”; Auckland City Mission, “Vision and Values.”; Auckland Homeless Steering Group, “Memorandum of Understanding: An Interagency Approach for Ending Rough Sleeping in Auckland City.”