Some of the tents are being used at a homeless tent town at Kensington Oval sports ground.
The Dunedin City Council announced today a plan to provide hot showers for the homeless there, in a sports changing room near Andersons Bay Rd.
Dunedin Bedding Bank’s volunteer Janine Walker said she had handed out tents to 10 homeless people this week and four had got her details from MSD.
It was the first time she had heard this.
She announced on Facebook today that her camping supplies were running low, partly due to MSD pointing to her.
After the post on social media, members of the public had dropped off donated supplies to help her cope with the demand.
Ms Walker told the ODT she had never talked to MSD directly, but had now been messaged by an employee.
That employee - from MSD Dunedin Central - had said the Bedding Bank had been highlighted to MSD staff in an effort to get it selected as a ‘‘charity of the month’’ that staff could support.
The MSD employee had wanted ‘‘to show the amazing work you do for our community, but I am wondering if that has caused the situation you are now in! This was not my intention at all!’’
‘‘We cannot always help people, hence we try to support those charities who are able to provide some support. I am so sorry if we have made this worse for you.’’
However, she added that in some cases a client was not eligible for everything they asked for.
In those instances, case managers tried to think of any other sources of support to suggest to clients, including occasionally Ms Walker’s voluntary services.
MSD would ‘‘reach out to meet with Janine to ensure we have a mutual understanding of how our services can assist those members of the community she is in regular contact with’’.
Ms Walker said she has received no funds as yet from MSD staff and had handed out her last tent to a homeless man today.
She urgently needed more supplies but said it should never come to this - particularly as it was getting colder.
One homeless man in a tent at the Oval today described MSD as a ‘‘nightmare - idiots who have not helped me.’’
Another claimed he had been unfairly chucked out of MSD-funded emergency motel accommodation.
After Ms Walker posted on Facebook, there was a storm of public outrage on the platform, calling on MSD to house the homeless.
One comment read: ‘‘This government seems to be abdicating all its responsibilities to charities and grassroots help.’’
Another said: ‘‘On what planet is it OK to refer people to a charity service like this for essential items like bedding and warm clothing?’’
She said the news of the showers, and an extension of the Dunedin Night Shelter’s capacity, were ‘‘vital’’ - but did not solve the crisis.
The night shelter is emergency accommodation, usually for only five nights.
‘‘These things are a Band-Aid that will not keep homeless people warm through the coming winter. We must not lose focus on making a plan," Cr Barker said.
A council spokesperson said the provision of showers was a once-a-week temporary measure and they would be cleaned afterwards.
The focus remained on the co-ordination of a broader, city-wide response to a variety of housing challenges including homelessness through the Housing Action Plan.
They said the goal was to have all relevant agencies working together to address the broader issues that lead to people sleeping rough.
