Sleepout raises awareness of homeless (+video)

Rotorua locals were exposed to the elements as they raised awareness of homelessness in the city. Photo / Ben Fraser

Rotorua people from "all walks of life" have bundled up and experienced a night of rough sleeping to raise awareness of homelessness in the city.

The Lifewise Big Sleepout raises money to tackle the growing issues of the homeless.

The event has been running in Auckland for the last five years, and organisers hope to make it an annual event in Rotorua.

About 40 locals gathered on the second level of the Pukuatua St car park building last night where cardboard mats were laid out on the asphalt and tarpaulin sheets hung against railings to block some of the wind.

Lifewise Rotorua mental health and addiction manager Haehaetu Barrett Jnr said she was overwhelmed with the community support.

"Seeing all these people from different walks of life who are willing to step out of their comfort zone and experience sleeping rough is overwhelming and has eased my anxiety.

"Working for Lifewise Rotorua, a lot of people who come in to see us are homeless so we decided to take up this challenge and spend a night in their shoes to get a small taste of what they experience day to day."

She said she was feeling warm at the time, but didn't know how long that would last.

"At the moment we are all wrapped up in our thermals and are pretty toasty but the temperature will drop around midnight so who knows how long we will stay warm."

Mitai Maori Village's Tania Charteris said she was feeling a bit emotional about the night.

"It's not that I'm giving up a night to sleep like this, that I can handle, it's the fact that so many people in our city sleep like this night after night."

Rotorua deputy mayor Dave Donaldson said he was feeling good ahead of the night.

"I am suitably tired so I don't think I'll have any trouble nodding off but I can't say how long I will stay that way before I start getting uncomfortable or cold."