HUD2023-002913
Brodie Fraser
[FYI request #23729 email]
Tēnā koe Brodie
Thank you for your request of 21 August 2023 the following information under the Of icial Information
Act 1982 (the Act):
Could I please have reports relevant to the first four bullet points mentioned for just
Housing First and Rapid Rehousing providers at a programme level, if possible for the
initial time period requested. If that requires too much collation, then the first quarter
and final quarter reports wil suffice.
On 20 August 2023, Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (the
Ministry) advised that we required additional time to make a decision regarding the document titled
LinkPeople Housing First Quarterly 1 Narrative Report July – September 2022, to allow for
consultation to occur.
I am releasing this document to you with some information withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the Act,
to protect the privacy of natural persons.
In terms of section 9(1) of the Act, I am satisfied that, in the circumstances, the decision to withhold
information under section 9 of the Act is not outweighed by other considerations that render it
desirable to make the information available in the public interest.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review of my response by the Ombudsman, in
accordance with section 28(3) of the Act. The relevant details can be found on the Ombudsman’s
website at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
As part of our ongoing commitment to openness and transparency, the Ministry proactively releases
information and documents that may be of interest to the public. As such, this response, with your
personal details removed, may be published on our website.
Nāku noa, nā
Julia Minko
Manager Ministerial Services
Housing First
Quarterly 1 Narrative Report
Linking people to
July – September 2022
housing and support
What has your experience been?
What works and what should you do more of? What doesn’t work? What improvements could you
make or what opportunities have you identified?
What’s worked well?
Connecting through karakia and waiata – Waiata Rāapa (Waiata Wednesdays)
The LinkPeople South Auckland team is predominately Māori and Pacific, we have found that coming
together as a rōpū (group) for karakia and every Wednesday has been really successful in building
team connectedness and leadership. We open with karakia followed by waiata, are generally in te reo
Māori or a pacific language. A LinkPeople Waiata book has been created to hold all our waiata. We
have had some positive feedback from our staff.
“This is fun, it brings everyone together once a week.”
“OMG this brings back memories of Kapa Haka at school.”
“Aww I remember that song from Primary School …. Good memories.”
-- LinkPeople staff on Waiata Wednesdays
While Team Leaders initiated the sessions, staff with strong kapa haka skills have shown leadership
and it is now led by a group team members. This has been awesome to see!
Reconnecting with our post pandemic purpose with in-house training
As our team continues to grow, the team expressed a need for in-house training. The impact of two
years of lockdowns, alert levels, traffic light systems and supporting people to be safe and well during
a global pandemic, has caused us to somewhat forgot our purpose (our why) and the our role of
Housing Case Worker being to support people to access housing, sustain tenancies and ultimately end
homelessness. We are now shifting our team back from reactive to proactive from doorstep visits to
in home visits.
Rehoused 8 whānau who were evicted from previous properties and whom self-discharged
from the programme and found their way back to LinkPeople.
Transferred four whānau between properties for various reasons.
o Couple expecting second baby needed a two-bedroom whāre
o Owner recal ed property and for health reasons
o Whāre no longer suitable due to whanau on-going health issues.
What improvements have we made and identified?
New Practice Lead Appointed
As part of the growth of LinkPeople across the country, our Senior Leadership Team have appointed a
New Practice Lead, Leonie Kaipo, who has been with LinkPeople since the very beginning. Leonie
brings wealth of experience and knowledge to her new role as Practice Lead. Leonie started as part of
a team of five as a Housing Case Worker became a Team Lead and is the organisation’s national
Practice Lead.
Training / Study
Managing and de-escalating chal enging situations at work - staff trained as team to help de-escalate
any situation that they might face.
Level 4 Mental Health Certificate
Staff are continuing on this learning journey our staff have a great relationship with their Assessor
who is very supportive and easy to communicate with.
MSD Social Housing Assessment Team
Our relationship with the MSD Social Housing Assessment Team continues to be great. They continue
to make the assessment process smooth and easy for our client. The feedback from staff and clients
has been positive. The relationship has made placing our people into our properties fast and easy.
Connecting with Prison(s) (Mt Eden and Wiri)
We have identified the need to build relationships with our prisons when our men or women are in
police custody and awaiting sentencing or bail address approvals. We have found this quarter that
while our people are awaiting sentencing their benefits are cut and rent arrears accumulate.
One of our Team Lead’s has reached out to her contact the Regional Manager Maori Partnerships
Northern Department of Correction for support in getting in contact with our people while in custody,
and access to meeting with them in person. This relationship is important to have and maintain, so
that our men and women know that there is stil support waiting for them when they are released.
What does not work well?
Relationship with WINZ
We continue to struggle with WINZ despite been al ocated a dedicated contact person.
Communication at times has been one sided. Our staff continue to need to strongly advocate at WINZ
Office for the people we support, who continue to be judged when seeking support from WINZ for
their mental health, addictions and criminal backgrounds. We have been real ocated a new contact
person at WINZ that we hope wil support our team to support people and break down the barriers at
WINZ that prevent people from moving forward.
LinkPeople Limited. Part of the Wise Group. | Freephone 0800 932 432 | www.linkpeople.co.nz
Rehousing and Transfers
This quarter we’ve had an increase of rehoused whanau due to various reasons.
Eviction
Client returning after being discharged from the programme.
Gang takeovers
Whānau / friends takeover
Rehousing people is very difficult at times, it not just matching them to the house, but also matching
them to community that they feel comfortable cal ing home.
Tenant transfers have also increased for the fol owing reasons:
Owner/Landlord not extending lease or tenancy with LinkPeople
House/unit no longer suitable for tenant
Tenant Health condition and issues
Surrounding community or environment is creating chal enges for people.
We have not been able to rehouse everyone due to delays in property suitability or availability.
Despite this the request for transfers continues to grow for many reasons.
New Kainga Ora housing developments are creating chal enges for some people.
The neighbours/neighbourhood is not safe for whānau and mokos (grandchildren) when they
visit.
House no longer suitable or doesn’t cater to the needs for their family.
Do not get along with their neighbours.
Mental Health.
Direct support and facilitated access you provided to address people’s identified needs:
We are interested in understanding the support and services that people are either being provided
with directly or assisted to access while on the programme.
Connecting to Community Services
As we continue to report every quarter, our people continue to need support to access services,
providers and organisations for food parcels, electricity and emergency housing, accommodation, and
wel being. The ongoing need for these supports is due to many things; lack of budgeting, high debt,
no more entitlements with WINZ, increase cost of living and addictions. Despite these issues, our
team continue to support and navigate our people to food banks and providers.
South Auckland Christian Food Bank
Wednesday Night Community Dinners 6pm – 7:15pm (not cost, just turn up)
Manukau Salvation Army
St Vincent Food Bank
Manukau Urban Māori Authority
Ngā Whare Waatea
Unfortunately, due to inflation, and the cost of living the choice of pay for rent and utilities is
sometimes hard for our people to make when they have a habit or addition to feed.
Fast Connect (fastconnect.co.nz 0800 88 55 99)
LinkPeople Limited. Part of the Wise Group. | Freephone 0800 932 432 | www.linkpeople.co.nz
When our whanau sign their tenancy, we connect with Fast Connect Power Service that wil finds
them the best power deal that wil suit their situation and their budget. By connecting our people
with this service cuts down the time of them having to cal several numbers to finds the right power
company that wil work for them.
Successes (big and small) that show how far a person/household has come and Housing First
interventions or activities linked to these:
We appreciate that the measure of success and wellbeing is individual and what may seem
insignificant to one is an incredible feat for someone else. We also appreciate hearing about the on-
going journeys for clients reported in any previous quarters.
Small changes are huge
s
s 9(2)(a) ingle Māori male, in his fifties, has a long history of health issues. Being homeless for many
years before LinkPeople housed him.
n
s 9(2)(a) eeds a lot of home help and support to his health
appointments and shopping.s 9(2)(a)can be difficult at times and verbal when he doesn’t get his way. s 9(2)(a)
has had a change of Housing Case Workers, and since the change the team have seen and noticed
smal changes with
i
s 9(2)(a) n his behaviour and his hygiene, he cleans up after himself, for our staff this is
big, as
i
s 9(2)(a) s known to be stubborn, however, they have seen him try to do things for himself as they
continue to encourage him to do things for himself.
Mana motuhake (Independence)
s 9(2)(a)
Has recently moved into her private rental with her s 9(2)(a) bubba,.
We have supported s 9(2)(a) for two and a half years in our service. In the past five months, I’ve seen
big changes in s 9(2)(a) and her relationship with her partner and their
.
s 9(2)(a) When I first met s 9(2)(a)
she believed everyone was out to get her. I told
w
s 9(2)(a) hat my role was, and what my role wil be if
she wanted a working partnership with me. I wasn’t there to tel her what to do and how to live and
made sure she was aware that at any time she could tell me to leave s 9(2)(a)liked the fact that I was
honest with her, if we are honest with each other, we won’t have problems.
s 9(2)(a) and her partner have a blended family and loves being a mum to her
a
s 9(2)(a) nd step-mum to
her s 9(2)(a). Throughout s 9(2)(a) pregnancy Oranga Tamariki have been involved due to s 9(2)(a)
history with her previous relationships and children.s 9(2)(a)has proved everyone wrong who told her
she would fail and have bubba taken by OT.
a
s 9(2)(a) nd her partner were determined to prove them
wrong. We set goals.
Get a job.
Move into a bigger house (find it myself).
OT to close my file.
i
s 9(2)(a) s now working and has moved into a private rental with her
a
s 9(2)(a)
nd hopeful y have her
partner and s 9(2)(a)move in with her. While
w
s 9(2)(a) orks during the day her partner cares for their
s 9(2)(a) “I’m so happy, everything is fal ing in place for us” I told
t
s 9(2)(a) hat I had one more goal for her
and I to compete together and that was to get her case / file closed with Oranga Tamariki. Which we
hope to have closed very soon.
*Names changed to protect privacy.
LinkPeople Limited. Part of the Wise Group. | Freephone 0800 932 432 | www.linkpeople.co.nz
