A home by Christmas: ŌCHT’s role in our city’s rapid response to homelessness
Helped by the Housing First Ōtautahi rapid response team, a 70-year-old man who previously slept in a park was offered an ŌCHT home on Christmas Eve.
There was no doubt as to what the offer of an ŌCHT home to call his own meant to him.
“This is a Christmas miracle,” he said as he signed his tenancy agreement at the ŌCHT office on Christmas Eve.
“It’s really a Christmas miracle.”
It wasn’t miraculous but it certainly seemed so for someone too used to setbacks. The 70-year-old had been without a home for a while.
A few weeks back, he was sleeping on the floor of the home of an elderly relative. Her circumstances meant he could stay only two weeks. He slept in a park when he left.
His medical conditions made rough sleeping dangerous and getting help difficult. Failing eyesight, and heart and lung problems, heightened risk. A brain stroke made it hard for him to remember much of anything – let alone how and where to get help.
Thankfully help – in the form of Housing First Ōtautahi’s (HFO’s) new rapid response outreach team and ŌCHT – found him.
The rapid response team offers help to people who have recently become homeless. It is a new initiative for HFO, whose core mission is to support people experiencing long-term homelessness with wraparound support and housing.
ŌCHT is one of six agencies that form HFO. It provides the greatest number of permanent homes to people on the HFO housing programme of any single provider.
HFO rapid response helped the man connect with the Ministry of Social Development. Within three days, he signed up for his new ŌCHT home – his “Christmas miracle”.
ŌCHT general manager tenancy Robert Hardie says ŌCHT is proud to provide the permanent homes that make positive personal stories possible.
“When a community works together, responds quickly and puts permanent housing first, we do more than help people avoid the worst of homelessness.
“When you’ve got a stable, long-term home, you can more easily access the supports and services you might need. A stable home really is the basis for a new future.”
ŌCHT is funded to provide permanent tenancies to up-to 100 people on the HFO housing programme. New funding in September brought the welcome challenge to fill 26 additional places by the end of the year.
ŌCHT met its target on Christmas Eve.
“Meeting our target so quickly is significant, but what matters most is what it represents,” Robert says.
“People who would otherwise be sleeping rough are starting the year with security, support, and hope, supported by our tenancy team and Housing First Ōtautahi.”
Among them was an 87-year-old woman who had been living on the street and whose circumstances made headlines.
Many others had been couch surfing, living in cars, or sleeping in abandoned or unsafe properties, in parks or on the street.
Some may have lived in their own homes before homelessness. Others may never have held a tenancy on their own.
No matter their backgrounds, all kaewa (clients) hope to leave chronic homelessness behind, Robert says.
“And because of their experiences, some did not think getting a tenancy would ever be possible, until now,” Robert says.
The next few months will be important for the new tenants as they settle into their new homes. ŌCHT’s tenancy advisors support their tenancies while HFO key workers help kaewa engage with social supports.
ŌCHT continues to house new kaewa as established tenants transition from the HFO housing programme, ensuring permanent homes remain available for those in need.
