Auckland City Mission is taking over a hotel in central Auckland to provide permanent shelter to 60 homeless people - a significant step in efforts to get rough sleepers off the streets.
The city mission has signed a nine-year lease with the owner of Park Hotel on Day St, with a right of renewal. That means it is likely to be a permanent arrangement.
But it is facing stiff opposition from apartment owners, businesses and landlords, who are concerned about anti-social behaviour in their street and placing vulnerable tenants in the heart of the red-light district.
The three-star hotel, previously known as Haka Hotel, is just off Karangahape Rd and is known for its colourfully-lit exterior above the motorway.
The city mission says the project will be a noticeable improvement on emergency housing in the area because the tenants will get permanent homes with intensive support from social workers and a 24-hour security guard.
Speaking at a public meeting on Hobson St on Monday night, Auckland City Missioner Helen Robinson said half of the hotel's new tenants would be from the public housing waitlist and had "low-to-no needs".
The other half would be part of the Housing First programme, meaning they had very high needs - likely to have been sleeping rough for a year or more, or in repeated episodes, and having one or a combination of addiction, severe mental health problems, and cognitive problems.
"We know that the deal-breaker is permanent housing," she told an audience of about 40 at the meeting. "That is the thing that makes the difference. We have been part of a city for many years that is crying out to us saying 'Do something!' … And we are saying we are doing something. This is what we are doing."
Residents and business owners asked about the potential for nuisance, placing vulnerable people in a "party" area, an increase in crime, alcohol and drug use, and the possible impact on property values.
"You've painted quite a rosy picture," said one apartment owner. "Hand on heart, is it going to be a rosy picture for us?"
Robinson said she did not have power to control other people's behaviour - "I cannot guarantee perfection" - but all the evidence showed that the best approach to dealing with homelessness was providing secure, supported housing.
"When you look at all social housing models in New Zealand ... Day St is the most supported model in our country," she said.
Alwyn Jones, who rented out a townhouse on Day St, said he was concerned about what the new tenants would do during the day, and the fact that they could have criminal backgrounds. People with criminal records are not barred from public housing.
Robinson said many of the lower-needs tenants were in work or education, and the goal for the higher-needs tenants was to support their recovery with the eventual goal of giving them meaningful lives. She added that she was uncomfortable with people assuming a direct link between homelessness and criminality. There was no firm evidence connecting the two, she said.
Another apartment owner on Day St, Peter Dons, said he was worried about placing vulnerable tenants in an area known for nightlife and criminal activity.
"I commend you and your team for your invaluable work," he said. "But why in God's name are you housing these people in probably one of the most vulnerable places for them to live in New Zealand, which has more drug dealers and liquor shops per square metre to anybody else in New Zealand?"
This concern was also raised by Muy Chhour, owner of K Rd's Lim Chhour supermarket.
Robinson said that in her experience, tenants needed to be placed close to services, like shops, community services and public transport.
Among the other issues raised by residents was the Auckland City Mission's policy on alcohol and drugs. Robinson said her organisation did not tolerate any criminal behaviour, but when it came to drinking, the tenants had the same rights as any renters - they could not be banned from consuming alcohol.
Auckland City Mission takes over the hotel on August 8 and will move in tenants over several months. It is working with the Ministry of Social Development to relocate existing emergency housing tenants.
It will be the third housing project in the central city that provides purpose-built, supported living for homeless people. The city mission opened the 80-unit Homeground building on Hobson St earlier this year. Robinson said at the time that she could fill it three times over.
Kāinga Ora plans to open a 200-unit development on Greys Ave early next year, which will include 80 dedicated apartments for rough sleepers.
There are an estimated 30 to 40 homeless people living permanently on the street in the central city, but a much larger number of people are in emergency housing or other insecure living situations.