612 (2026). Hon Kieran McAnulty to the Associate Minister of Housing

612 (2026). Hon Kieran McAnulty to the Associate Minister of Housing: How is the Ministry of Social Development proactively connecting with local homelessness outreach services to identify and support people without shelter to access Ministry services and products and how many, if any, people were identified as needing such assistance through this activity?

Hon Tama Potaka: I am advised by the Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry) that the Ministry has a Tactical Plan for Rough Sleepers in targeted locations – i.e. Auckland, Waikato, Napier, Rotorua, Wellington and Canterbury. This plan builds on existing co-location of services and Emergency Housing Support Service funding for some of the key providers who do outreach with rough sleepers. Ministry staff are co-located with a number of providers for periods ranging from full-time to 1-3 days per week, depending on the needs and agreements with each provider. Additionally, when Housing First Providers or Rough Sleepers come into strategically located Service Centres, the Ministry have the following in place: • walk-in services, • outreach support, • dedicated staff, and • clear referral processes in place. As at 28 January 2026, under the tactical plan, 577 people have been engaged, of which 337 were identified as sleeping rough.