At the Dunedin City Council community services committee meeting this week, an update to the Dunedin Housing Plan identified that creating a joined approach between organisations to address homelessness was needed.
One of the council’s five priorities for housing was to look after one of the most vulnerable groups in the city — those without a home.
Council housing plan action adviser Gill Brown said one of the ways the council and other organisations, such as the Dunedin Night Shelter, were exploring was working towards a goal of "functional zero" homeless.
Functional zero was where more people were leaving homelessness than entering into it, therefore reducing numbers of those in need.
She said the council had been in communication with a representative from Canadian town Medicine Hat who had seen a decrease in the homeless population while using the concept of functional zero.
Dunedin Night Shelter manager David McKenzie said the shelter was still experiencing high demand for its services, and was pleased the council was taking the issue seriously.
"Actual numbers of people coming to the shelter are as high as this time last year ... and November last year was the highest, 10, 11, 12 people. November was really, really busy," Mr McKenzie said.
At present, the shelter is limited in the amount of people it can house due to a temporary building issue, so is having to turn people away.
"I know of 12 other people that slept rough in the last few days and there will be more than that."
Mr McKenzie said homelessness was much more than just sleeping rough — couch surfing, and loss of emergency housing were among some of the situations staff at the shelter saw on a regular basis.
With the return of tourists and end of the lockdowns, rentals and temporary housing were becoming less available.
"It’s great that the DCC is taking the lead on this, homelessness is one of those issues that it takes everybody to solve it.
"But these are our people and we’ve got a responsibility."
The next group meeting between the council and the organisations involved in combating homelessness is planned for later this month.
