Homelessness affects communities across Aotearoa, including here in Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt. We know that people experience homelessness in different ways - from living rough on the streets to staying temporarily with friends or whānau, or in emergency accommodation.
Homelessness is complex, but the path forward must be grounded in compassion, partnership, and long-term solutions. At Hutt City Council, we are committed to understanding the issue, being transparent about what we know, and actively investing in initiatives to combat homelessness through a collaborative partnership model by working alongside our partners to make meaningful change.
What We’re Doing About Homelessness
Hutt City Council cannot end homelessness alone — but we play a key role in enabling change.
We work closely with mana whenua, central government agencies, housing providers, and social service organisations to:
- Support access to emergency and transitional housing
- Identify and respond to rough sleeping hotspots
- Advocate for increased housing supply and funding
- Co-develop initiatives that prevent homelessness and support long-term wellbeing
Our approach is guided by the Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt Homelessness Strategy, which outlines our shared vision: “Working together to end homelessness. Ending homelessness doesn’t mean that no-one will lose their home again. It means that we have a response in-place to prevent homelessness whenever possible and that if homelessness occurs, it is rare, brief, and non-recurring.”
Read our Homelessness Strategy
As part of the strategic approach to responding to homelessness in Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt, Council agreed as part of the Long-Term Plan 2021-2031 to provide $800,000 per year to Kaupapa partners to deliver on three key actions:
- Tākiri Mai te Ata Whānau Ora Collective: [https://www.kokiri.org.nz/Home and https://www.takirimai.org.nz] Early intervention to prevent homelessness including early intervention for households at risk of homelessness.
- Tuatahi Centre [https://tuatahicentre.com/]: Increased access to settled homes for households at risk of homelessness and develop plans to prevent homelessness.
- Community Law Hutt Valley [https://www.wclc.org.nz/] : Legal advice and advocacy for housing issues including repairs, evictions, rent arrears, Tenancy Tribunal claims and emergency and transitional housing.
Why We’ve Created the Homelessness and Housing Dashboard
The new Homelessness and Housing Dashboard is a central hub for data and information about homelessness in our city. The Dashboard also includes conditions creating housing stress that may, in some cases, lead to homelessness. It brings together key insights that help us — and our community partners — better understand how many people are affected, where support is needed, and how our collective efforts are making a difference.
By providing up-to-date, local data, the dashboard supports our commitment to transparency and evidence-based action. It’s one way we’re helping to ensure decisions are informed by real experiences and needs on the ground.
The dashboard includes data on:
- Trends in the number of residents waiting for housing support, in crowded housing and who are severely housing deprived
- Trends in income growth and housing affordability
- Homelessness data from Lower Hutt providers
- Trends in housing deprivation across age, demographic, and Greater Wellington region.
The data can be filtered by age, ethnicity and there are comparisons against other cities. This tool supports Council staff, community organisations, and the public to better understand the local picture — and to act on it.
Homelessness can feel overwhelming, but small actions make a difference. You can:
- Support local charities working with people experiencing homelessness
- Learn more about the issue through our dashboard
- Treat everyone with dignity and respect — homelessness is not a choice
This webpage and dashboard will continue to grow as we gather more data and develop new initiatives. We’ll update it regularly to share insights, progress, and new opportunities for collaboration. Together, we can support a city where everyone has a safe, secure place to live.