When someone logs a concern through Wellington City Council’s FIXiT app, or calls into the call centre regarding someone sleeping rough, it sets off a chain reaction that allows the Council and social service partners to support our most vulnerable people as much as we can.
The call or ticket is logged into the customer service system at the Council. If the ticket is about someone experiencing homelessness, sleeping rough or similar – that ticket comes to the City Safety team at Wellington City Council but is also sent directly to the Council’s assertive outreach partners at Downtown Community Ministry (DCM).
Assertive outreach is a proactive approach used to engage individuals who may have difficulty accessing services. It’s about meeting people where they are at, and building trust through on-going engagement until they are ready to walk through the doors of support service.
Safe City Advisor Joel Berryman says the team receives several tickets each day from the central city and suburbs, reflecting the high level of need.
The request is received by the Council’s Urban Liaison team and DCM’s Outreach team, who work closely to coordinate the most appropriate response. The person who logged the ticket or called in, is then contacted with an update on what has been done.
Alongside reacting to tickets logged by Wellingtonians, each day, our Urban Liaison Officers engage with members of the street community, encouraging them toward support services and reminding them to keep public spaces like footpaths and doorways accessible for everyone.
Joel says if someone feels unsafe, they should not hesitate to call the Police.
DCM Social Worker Kyle Holland explains more about what happens at their end when a ticket comes through.
“Every morning, we look at what has come in overnight and quickly try and focus efforts on people we think will still be in the same place they were when the ticket was logged.
"We go and talk to them, and offer them support, and give them information about DCM."
Kyle says if they can they’ll ask the person to come down to DCM’s drop-in centre the following morning, or if it’s the right time they’ll take them in then to have them assessed for support into transitional or emergency housing.
“A lot of the time people are concerned about seeing people sleeping on the side of the street, or in distress so might call the Council. We've noticed in the last year the increase of people in distress. Often, we will know the person so we will go out and talk to them to try and see what's going on. If we have an update on progress for their situation we keep them in the loop."
Kyle explains that there’s a group of people who are having a particularly hard time, known as the five percent.
‘They’re the people the most difficult to engage with, the most severe when it comes to mental health trauma, who find it hardest to be housed due to high needs that providers don't cater for.”
Just recently Wellington City Council signed off on a plan to create a more coordinated approach to homelessness. The Council co-designed the new service with its partners: Downtown Community Ministry (DCM), Wellington City Mission, and He Herenga Kura.
The initiative aims to improve collective coordination for the most complex cases of the estimated 30 people experiencing chronic homelessness in and around the central city.
Kyle says it will be a massive strength.
“A more coordinated approach will be so beneficial, especially for people chronically suffering from homelessness or with severe challenges – the more people we can put behind them, the better.”
Getting in touch with Wellington City Council about any concerns you have can lead to a positive outcome for someone experiencing homelessness.
If you'd like to report a concern regarding begging or rough sleeping please use our online form or our FIXiT app to let us know.
You can also call the Contact Centre on 04 499 4444.
If you think the behaviour of someone on the street is unlawful or unsafe, phone the Police on 105. For emergencies, call 111.