Our Services
The Ngāmotu Street Initiative is a service
that exists to support rough sleeping
whānau in New Plymouth. We connect
them to exeir needs. We
connimanako.
Advocacy
Referrals
Mental health support
Navigation support
Ngāmotu Street Initiative Team
The Ngāmotu Street Initiative is a service
that exists to support rough sleeping
whānau in New Plymouth. We connect
them to exeir needs. We
connimanako.
Justin
Project Lead
Kia ora, ko Justin taku ingoa. I lead our Ngāmotu Street Initiative Service.
I have led projects addressing community need in my careers in education, community development, and mental health and addictions. Having built strong networks throughout the community, I hope to connect the great work already taking place into further supporting the unhoused.
We are all intricately connected within community. Homelessness is attached to a whole concept of invisibility, so if we’re not seeing others in our community, we can’t connect. This whole service is about connection and creating a more loving, safe, and supportive place.
Hannah
Hospo Kaimahi and NSI Outreach Worker
Kia ora, I’m Hannah, and I’m part of the Ngāmotu Street Initiative team.
I bring significant life experience and a unique knowledge of precarious housing to this mahi. I’m an advocate for and active supporter of those most vulnerable in our community. I believe that everyone deserves a sense of belonging, purpose, and quality of life.
I’m excited that this service is going to enable people’s voices to be heard and for judgements to be dropped while bringing the community together to support our most vulnerable.
Jamie – Project Support
Kia ora – ko Jamie tōku ingoa. I am so thankful to be connected in to the Ngāmotu Street Initiative. My role in this project includes shared oversight in how the Waimanako Support Hub operates safely as an environment for anyone and everyone who may need our awhi this day / this week / this year – and to work with all involved to enable equitable access to care – without discrimination. In my working life I have consistently had the privilege of being involved in supporting those who are homeless. I am thankful for the trusting relationship which many, many of our team have with our Street Whānau – and am grateful that those relationships also include myself. I also have a role in enabling connections and advocacy to take place; joining up our support service with other organisations; and agitating/lobbying for social change based on what we see, hear and experience ‘on the turf’. I mihi to Justin, Hannah and Zach in their roles – and to our entire team, all of whom have some level of connection and involvement in this area of our mahi: including the crucial work of cooking up a kai or prepping a delicious coffee!
Zach – Project Support
Kia ora, ko Zach tōku ingoa. I have the privilege of providing peripheral support to this wonderful initiative. My role in this area includes research and literature reviews; graphic design; and assisting with report writing. I’m immensely proud to be doing what I can within my role to support our street whānau.
Fact Checker
The Ngāmotu Street Initiative is committed to addressing stigma surrounding our street whānau, as well as common misconceptions regarding homelessness. We warmly invite you to browse our range of fact-checking resources:
We cannot invisibly solve homelessness: an open letter
This article addresses some of the misconceptions surrounding Waimanako and NSI’s involvement with our local street whānau, the reasons for an increase in homelessness, and our proposed solution to support our street whānau and reduce public distress at their presence.
Click on an image to read more.
Introduction and further reading
Definitions of homelessness, and some additional resources.
The Domino Effect
This tool illustrates how homelessness can occur: not as an outcome of bad choices or laziness, but as an intersection of multiple harsh circumstances.
Homelessness Narratives
This article explores a number of ways in which the domino effect can manifest.
Root causes
An exploration of some of the key societal causes of homelessness.
Impact on Māori
Our colonial setting means that Māori are disproportionately likely to end up without a home.
Substance use
Outlining the ways in which substance use interacts with homelessness.
Policy recommendations
Ultimately, solving homelessness requires government-level solutions. To this end, these are our public policy recommendations.
A proposed solution for Taranaki
Our vision for a Day/Night Centre which supports our street whānau and reassures local businesses and the public.