Whatever It Takes Trust CEO Sam Aberahama with the key to symbolically turn for the last time closing the door of the Outreach centre on Clive Square. Photo / Doug Laing
Whatever It Takes Trust CEO Sam Aberahama with the key to symbolically turn for the last time closing the door of the Outreach centre on Clive Square. Photo / Doug Laing
Napier health and wellbeing services provider Whatever It Takes (WIT) Trust is looking for more ideas for the homeless and disadvantaged after closing its Clive Square Outreach centre.
The centre has a background as the Lighthouse, dating back to 2001, and has been run by WIT for 10 years, navigatingthe difficulties of the exploding number of homeless people as well as the concerns of neighbours about some of the behaviour attracted to the area.
It closed at midday on Friday, amid a gathering of users, staff and supporters of the cause from over the years.
But shelter society chair Mark Cleary is saddened by the closure of the Outreach, and is calling for better government funding of the services.
“For over a decade, WIT has operated from a Kāinga Ora–owned building, providing a wide range of support services,” he said. “The closure will significantly impact homeless whānau in Napier. WIT has not been funded for this work.”
He also said the closure will affect the operation of Āhuru Mōwai – “limiting our ability to support our eight resident whānau and to grow capacity”.
“While the wider community will step up, this moment demands a central government rethink of how the growing number of homeless people in Napier are supported,” he said.
The closure was met with some tears among those gathered in the Outreach courtyard, overlooked by a mural of well-known late streets dweller Myles Hemopo.
Aberahama spoke of the widespread support, from individuals, to St Vincent De Paul, Trinity Church (on the opposite side of the square) and other groups, and, by name, Hemopo and others who became familiar names around the premises.
The Outreach mural of late frequent centre visitor Myles Hemopo, and supporters of the Outreach at Friday's closure in Napier. Photo / Doug Laing.
He also acknowledged neighbours, and that there had been issues involving “whānau pounamu behaviour” that had impacted on the neighbours and their businesses.
“Outreach carries a whakapapa deeply rooted in lived experience,” Aberahama said, adding it was a “sanctuary created by whānau for whānau, where manaaki and compassion shaped a safe pace for rest, kai, and belonging”.
“The closure of Outreach is not only the closing of a building, but the recognition of a taonga – a place that walked alongside countless whānau through hardship, celebrated steps towards stability, and sustained dignity in the face of adversity,” he said.
Cleary said WIT staff had been vital in helping whānau access support from government agencies and in walking alongside residents as they work towards stable housing and employment.
“Āhuru Mōwai is halfway through a pilot project to develop best-practice ways of supporting rough sleepers to reintegrate,” he said.
“The closure of the Outreach Centre is a major setback to this work,” he said, adding NAHSS is “ready to be part of a community-wide coalition to find better solutions – and we invite central government to join us at the table".
Doug Laing has been a reporter for 52 years, more than 40 of them in Hawke’s Bay, at the Central Hawke’s Bay Press, the Napier Daily Telegraph and Hawke’s Bay Today. He has covered most aspects of general news and sport.
