Opinion: Whare Tauranga the right way to help the homeless

Te Tuinga Whanau Support Services director Tommy Wilson says it is important to deal with the issues behind why people are homeless. PHOTO/FILE

Programmes like Whare Tauranga are exactly what we need to get homeless families out of garages, sheds or friends' couches and into a place of their own.

Whare Tauranga is a home run by the Te Tuinga Whanau Support Services Trust which takes in families who have found themselves without a home for a short term and provides them with the support they need to get back on their feet and find a home of their own. They are given budgeting advice and support dealing with social services among other things.

This week the trust announced it had secured enough funding from the Government to open two new homes, like Whare Tauranga.

That is money well spent.

Pouring money into putting people in motels is not going to solve the problem in the long term. Yes, we need to help these people to get a roof over their head in the meantime but really the Government needs to be investing in programmes like Whare Tauranga.

In New Zealand there are systems in place to make sure everyone has a roof over their heads. There's really no reason for people to be homeless.

The sudden surge in people moving to the Bay has created a shortage of housing which pushed house prices and the cost of rent up more than anyone could have imagined in the last couple of years, which has put pressure on the system and made it harder for people in low paying jobs to afford somewhere to live.

But still, Housing New Zealand and the Ministry of Social Development have been working to get all those who come to them into a house - even if the best they can do for now is a motel.

That suggests to me that finances are not the only problem for many of those left sleeping in garages, cars and sheds.

Te Tuinga Whanau director Tommy Wilson has said many times that it is essential the underlying issues get addressed so people don't find themselves back in the same situation again.

We can't just throw houses or money at people. We need to give them support in all areas of their life. We need to teach people budgeting, parenting and cooking. We need to provide emotional support to help people regain their independence and confidence. We need to provide support when dealing with social services to make sure they know what help they are eligible for.

That's what the staff at Te Tuinga Whanau and Whare Tauranga do. They should be applauded for their tireless work and commitment.

The Government too should be applauded for recognising and supporting an organisation which is making a real difference in people's lives.

Let's get behind what they are doing - it's the only way to solve the homelessness problem our city and country are facing.