Move on orders by police for the homeless simply shifts the problem caused by homelessness it doesn’t solve it; it is no solution. If people on the streets in other council areas are made to move on will this increase the people without homes moving on to Upper Hutt? The solution is more housing; the answer lies in more government funding to build more houses. Not high-end market housing, but moderate family homes or single bedroom houses or flats. As voters in the next general election, we should be looking to a government with a plan for housing. Plans that include government guaranteed mortgage sponsored by banks or credit unions. Rent to buy schemes of state-built houses. Low interest loans for development costs for developers. We need too, to acknowledge not all people who we see sleeping on the street or in park bushes are simply without shelter. Some have unmet unwellness concerns, complex trauma, addiction, mental health illness. The answer for this group of people is first recognising the right for them to have their dignity protected and for them to be confident they can trust others by building up trusting relationships with people and agencies whose corner stone is non-judgemental compassion. This takes a whole community organised to offer every assistance every step of the way assistance that is not denied at the first hurdle but is offered over and over to be freely chosen or rejected without penalty. Upper Hutt has available, all the resources to do this, and with government support can. The question I believe is do we want to be that community or do we want to invest in more security cameras and move the problem out of sight.   

Teresa Homan

BEST advocacy service manager, UHHCT chair    

A “thank you” to Teresa Homan for sending this letter to The Upper Hutt Connection.

26/02/26