Lifewise Rotorua plans event for World Homeless Day, October 10

World Homeless Day is an annual global event held on October 10. Photo / Duncan Brown

World Homeless Day is coming up and Lifewise Rotorua is hosting an event to raise awareness of the challenges faced by people who experience homelessness in Rotorua's community.

World Homeless Day is an annual global event held on October 10.

The international campaign raises awareness of homeless people's needs and provides the opportunities for communities around the world to get involved.

The day will include performances from Rotorua entertainers alongside talent who have also gone global - Turanga Merito, DJ Poroufessor, Krissy Knap, and the Te Arawa rising star Te Pumanawa O Toku Ate Rogers.

There will also be a live graffiti display with internationally acclaimed graffiti artist, sculptor, and godfather of New Zealand hip hop Darryl Dlt Thomson.

The event will run from 10am-2pm at Lifewise Rotorua, 8 Kuirau St.

Lifewise Rotorua has been supporting the Rotorua Lakes Council and community and voluntary agencies to formulate and develop the local Whiria Te Aroha - Homeless Action Plan.

This brings together a number of diverse agencies to work on prevention, ongoing support, and ultimately independence for people who experience homelessness.

This plan is New Zealand's first community-based action plan to end homelessness.

Lifewise Rotorua recently appointed Donna-Jean Tairi as housing co-ordinator.

Ms Tairi will co-ordinate all the funded and non-funded services under the plan to collect actual data.

"We want to capture what homelessness looks like and what agencies and community people in Rotorua are doing to address homelessness," Ms Tairi said.

"By collating this data we can work with all social agencies, health providers, community and government services in Rotorua, to give direction, provide energy, support and resources to ensure homelessness becomes rare, brief and non-recurring.

"We are working locally to influence, advocate and co-ordinate opportunities for understanding, communication and collaboration in addressing homelessness.

"We know that no one person, agency or sector can address homelessness, it takes a collaborative approach."