Source: Radio New Zealand
Social services say they’re seeing alarming numbers of rough sleepers in the capital. RNZ / Richard Tindiller
Social services say they are seeing alarming numbers of rough sleepers in the capital, with a constant stream of new people trying to get help.
It comes as an announcement by the government about move on orders for the homeless looms – with legislation expected to be introduced soon.
In the last two quarters of 2025, outreach teams dealt with between 30-40 people “never seen before”, Downtown Community Ministry’s chief executive Natalia Cleland said.
Before that, from the end of 2023 to the beginning of 2025, there was a 40 percent increase in rough sleeping each quarter, she said.
About 160 people were sleeping rough in Wellington within the past three months, Cleland said.
“I feel that whilst the numbers of people rough sleeping is high and it’s terrible, it’s actually quite disheartening as well to see new faces coming through the doors asking for services.”
Wellington City Missioner Murray Edridge agreed.
“There’s no question in my mind that the need we are seeing in our community, and the desperation of people’s circumstances is greater than we’ve ever seen before.”
Wellington City Missioner Murray Edridge. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Edridge said in the year since the mission’s community hub in Newtown Whakamaru opened, 70,000 people had walked through its doors – though some of these would be repeat visitors.
About 30,000 hot meals had been served, with about 5500 people using the showers, and 6500 shopping at the social supermarket.
“Every day I see people I’ve never seen before in our cafe.”
‘Jail’s my home’
Marcus Pohio, 57, said his most recent stint on the streets had been about two months.
He said he was housed by Downtown Community Ministry for years, but lost his house when he went to prison, and had since been shoplifting “to survive”.
Pohio said he had been in and out of jail for the past decade, and when he went to court again on new theft charges, he would ask to be sent inside again.
“I seem to have more of a home in jail than I have out here. Jail’s my home, in the last 10 years I’ve probably done about 13 legs – just through drug addiction and theft, mainly theft, and through misbehaviour.”
He now sits outside a supermarket on Lambton Quay asking for money for food, he said.
In the year since the City Mission’s community hub in Newtown, Whakamaru, opened, 70,000 people had walked through its doors. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Downtown Community Ministry said it had been in touch with Pohio, who was under the Housing First service and was in the process of getting back on the social housing waitlist.
Pohio said he had seen a lot of new rough sleepers in the capital recently.
“There’s a lot of familiar faces, but there’s a lot of new people popping up, from Upper Hutt and Porirua, all over the place – the Auckland crowd are here, a lot of my mates from Auckland are here, they’ve come from Auckland because they want a better life here.”
He heard police had been moving rough sleepers away from Courtenay Place.
“All my mates have left the streets of Courtenay Place because they’ll be moved by police, police will move them along… they say take your shit and go – go, go go.”
But Police area prevention manager Jason McCarthy, said they did not move homeless people on in Wellington.
“Homelessness is not in itself a criminal matter, but rather a complex social issue that requires a multi-agency approach.”
McCarthy said police were sometimes called on to deal with disorder, intimidation and substance abuse, and these matters were handled on a “case-by-case” basis.
“Police are aware of a number of locations across the Wellington area that are frequented by unhoused people, however there is no particular location currently that gives cause for any additional Police resources to be utilised.”
Bradley Mohr said he was homeless in Wellington for a year and eight months about two years ago, but now lived with his sister.
He was asking for money outside New World on Willis street, saying he was trying to clear a debt, when RNZ stopped to talk to him.
Mohr said he had noticed new rough sleepers on the streets too.
“There’s just a lot more hustlers around… it’s just all increased – maybe they were getting no money in their town, so they come to Wellington.”
Bradley Mohr. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Rough sleepers appearing in new areas of the city?
Cleland said Wellington’s central city was still the main place where the street commmunity slept.
The agency had had recent reports of others seeking shelter in Charles Plimmer Park, in Mount Victoria.
Rough sleeping in different parts of Wellington’s town belt was not new, Cleland said, but fluctuated depending on the weather.
A person in the Shelly Bay area told RNZ he had seen a homeless camp at the start of Shelly Bay Road in Miramar in the past two months, but the people had recently packed up and left.
Andrew Wilson, Salvation Army core officer in Newtown, said rough sleeping and anti-social behaviour in the Wellington suburb of Newtown had improved since a concerning spike last year.
“We’ve seen some of our rough sleepers be housed now for longer than they have been for a long time – some of them receive proper mental health support and are practically thriving now that they’re receiving the support they need.”
Others had moved to different areas of the city.
Wilson said drugs were “rampant” in Newtown last year, but the police had done an “amazing” job cracking down on the suppliers.
“There is a risk that some of that starts to pop up again, and so we are working closely with police to ensure it stays out of our community, because that was a large driver of the anti-social behaviour we saw in our community last year.”
Andrew Wilson, Salvation Army core officer in Newtown. RNZ / Mark Papalii
Unclear how far ‘move on’ orders could apply
The Prime Minister has said a decision about “move on” orders in city centres would be announced shortly, with legislation expected to be introduced in the House.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith would not respond to RNZ questions about whether move on orders would apply to city centres throughout the country, or be limited to Auckland.
“The government has made decisions and will make announcements soon. All details will be revealed then,” a spokesperson for his office said.
Edridge said the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet had sought his comment on move on orders for rough sleepers before Christmas.
He said Wellington City Mission would actively oppose any move on orders if they were implemented without support services, but he was hopeful that would not be the government’s approach.
The Prime Minister has previously told Morning Report move on orders would be considered alongside support for the homeless.
“If move on orders aren’t created or imposed alongside a range of support services, then they’re absolutely ineffective and absolutely abhorrent for our community,” Edridge said.
“The idea that we would move somebody because we don’t want them there, or because we’re somehow offended by their circumstances or behaviour, but don’t do anything about seeking to address that behaviour is just wrong.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
