Emergency, Transitional, Housing First, Social Housing Confused

So are we at times. Monte Cecilia had offered supported emergency housing for 34 years, then in 2016/17, the government allowed motels to be used rather than staying homeless than staying homeless in parks and cars. 

The motels were mostly run as motel businesses but vacant units were funded by government for the homeless. Motel stays were often only seven days and then you had to find somewhere else to stay often with no supports. 

Some families and individuals in motels were lucky to get social work support to assist in correct WINZ payments, getting on the housing register and looking for a longer term housing solution. Sadly some have been in motels for six to nine months. 

The then-government decided to call this Emergency Housing. Monte Cecilia’s supported emergency housing was then named transitional housing. By December 2016 this was fully funded by government and we were and are contracted to provide temporary housing with wrap around social services for three months to be followed up with a three month check in support once family are in social housing. 

Monte Cecilia has 68 transitional housing options across South Auckland with the average stay in 2018, 14 weeks. Monte Cecilia is contracted to provide transitional housing but we still call it emergency housing because families in crisis feel a real sense of hopelessness. 

Social housing, or as Monte likes to call it Community social housing (in the community, by the community for the community) is only for those eligible to be on the Housing Register (Income Tested – 16,000 are now on that register). 

HOUSING FIRST, EMERGENCY, TRANSITIONAL, SOCIAL HOUSING, CONFUSED.

HNZ provides social housing that they are now calling Public Housing. Monte Cecilia has 190 community social housing homes across South to West Auckland, 80% are leased. These homes are subsidised by a government income related rent subsidy, which assists families to gain an affordable rental and can only be accessed by registered community housing providers, which Monte Cecilia is. 

Housing First became prominent in New Zealand in 2017 and has gained a reputation of being able to house those chronic homeless people living in homelessness often for years having experienced a crisis in their lives or having on going health issues. 

The success of Housing First is that a home is the first priority and then assessments are completed to identify what key supports need to be put in place. This overseas model is having great success in New Zealand for those people