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28 May 2020 Downtown Community Ministry 96
May update from DCM - together we can end homelessness
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Here at DCM, we have been determined to do whatever it takes to support our taumai during the COVID crisis.
Doing things differently
Here at DCM, we have been determined to do whatever it takes to support our taumai during the COVID crisis. For many of us, this has meant taking on different roles and tasks. In our March update, we saw Rob from our Outreach Team manning DCM’s new 0800 number phone support service for our taumai from his home. In our April update, we saw how DCM and Westpac kaimahi immediately worked together to enable our taumai to access their money during lock-down. Today we talk to Paula, a team leader on our Aro Mai team, about the fantastic work she and her team have been doing during this time...
Paula
As soon as we learned that lock-down was imminent, my team and I had to rapidly shift our focus – from supporting people with long histories of homelessness into permanent housing, to getting people off the streets and in to emergency housing.
Together we can end homelessness – yes, this is always what it comes down to. The success of this work has been built on collaboration – in particular, between the government, government agencies and organisations like DCM.
Prior to the lock-down, the whole process around emergency housing was slow and complex, but to respond rapidly to the COVID challenge, we were able to work together to rapidly improve and expedite the process.
HUD* immediately stepped up; like us, they quickly shifted their focus, organising emergency housing and entering in to contracts with motels and the like, to ensure that the spaces we needed would be available. MSD were regularly in touch with us, asking us what we needed and supporting our work every step of the way.
We received referrals from many different sources – from DCM kaimahi and our Outreach Team, but also from Wellington City Council, the police, Probation Services, the hospital and from mental health nurses and services.
When it came to placing these people in emergency housing, I was able to work closely with Regina – another key to our success. Reg has been at DCM since 2011; she knows a lot about the most marginalised people, and often knows their story. She offers insight into what will work for them, and what the issues are. Together we could determine the right location, mix of people and a plan for the management of each location.
Regina
You asked me what success has looked like. To begin with, people have settled and stayed in their emergency housing, and this has actually enabled us to be true to our kaupapa, and to our commitment to Housing First. We have been able to engage with taumai, see them regularly and go forward together.
People who have been homeless and who were not on our radar at all have stepped forward. With street begging not an option, limited toilet facilities and with drop-in spaces closed, emergency housing has become much more attractive to those who have been rough sleeping in our city. Now we are in touch with them, building relationships, getting their names on the housing register and – yes! – moving the first of them on in to permanent housing.
So it has been a change in focus for me and my team, but ultimately, it has totally supported our over-riding goal as a team and an organisation which is committed to a Housing First kaupapa.
*Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
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From emergency housing to a permanent home
DCM kaimahi helping taumai move into a permanent home
Yes, as Paula says, we can now begin to share the stories of people who have already moved from emergency housing into their own whare.
A has had a long history of engagement with DCM; he has been a regular at Te Hāpai, we have supported him to sort his benefit and to get his name on the housing register, he has had dental appointments, seen Te Aro Health nurses and received food support at DCM.
A is a very pleasant, quiet and unassuming man who doesn’t ask for support and values his independence.
We initially got an emergency housing room for him at AC International; it was immediately clear that a shared place like this didn’t work for him. There were too many people – A was accustomed to living in the bush on his own. We were then able to get him a self-contained place where he could be independent, but where there are also other taumai we are working with. Together, they have formed a very supportive community. They have been company for one another, and have been able to provide advice and support to one another.
Dominic from our Aro Mai team then stepped up to support A in to a permanent home. DCM has a strong relationship with Wellington City Housing, and we were able to get A a WCH tenancy – yes, last week, he moved in to his own home. He can walk in to town, and has friends and supports close by. Dominic will continue to check in with him regularly, but A is enjoying the independence that is so important to him.
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Please help us get the message out there! Forward this email on to everyone you can think of who may be interested in how to respond to homelessness, and just generally people who are passionate about Wellington.
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Read More Success Stories
Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi
With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive
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Accepted from DCM alerts archive
53 months ago
by feedreader
Tagged as: government media dental covid-19 wellington art housing hospital people
29 Sep 2019 Downtown Community Ministry 96
September Update from DCM - Together We Can End Homelessness
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September Update from DCM - Together We Can End Homelessness
Happy birthday to us!
50 years...50 photos - this month we celebrated DCM’s 50th birthday with a special photographic exhibition entitled “Together we can end homelessness”.
The exhibition featured 50 different images, reflecting the part that many individuals, groups and businesses play in supporting our work. This is why our by-line is “TOGETHER we can end homelessness”. We experience Wellington as a caring place, a place where people want to be part of the solution to homelessness and welcome an opportunity to become involved in any way they can. The exhibition included images representing the contributions of:
our medical supports - dentists, dental assistants, eye doctor, audiologist and physiotherapist who share their time and their skills here at DCM
the local faith communities who have been part of our work for 50 years, in all sorts of different ways
the food businesses which make it possible for us to provide kai and hospitality while we build relationships with people – like Pandoro, Kaibosh, Mojo Coffee
the many groups involved in delivering our annual DCM Bookfair
the volunteers who support our work at Te Hāpai, such as the barber who offers haircuts and John who runs our weekly poetry sessions
chefs and others who support our seasonal kai events
writers, journalists, designers, printers, businesses which donate time, expertise and product
those who support our work financially and in other ways
and our taumai themselves – their commitment to picking up the paddle and doing what it takes to become well, and then going on to support others on a journey to housing and wellbeing.
In our 50th birthday year, we want to lift up the many Wellingtonians who are part of the solution to homelessness. We also wanted to prompt those who visited the exhibition to think about ways in which they may be able to become involved.
Thank you to all of you who made it along to Photospace to enjoy the exhibition. And a special thank you to the creative forces who made it possible. Though the exhibition has come to an end you can see all 50 photos on our website.
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Here’s another way for you to be part of the solution to homelessness
DCM has joined a collaboration of organisations dedicated to ending homelessness in Wellington under a new government-funded Housing First initiative. We move people from homelessness into housing then provide wrap around support and regular home visits to ensure they sustain their tenancy.
One of the new kaimahi who have joined our team to take on this important mahi is Peni Fiti, who will be focused on procuring suitable houses for people who have been homeless for a long period of time.
Do you own any rental properties or know any landlords who would like to learn more about becoming part of the solution to homelessness? If so, do talk to Peni. There are so many reasons to get in touch.
Our Housing First team can offer landlords a “no hassles” service – guaranteed rent, no fees, maintenance sorted and your property managed for you. Even better, you will be providing a whare for a person who is experiencing homelessness.
Peni would love to hear from you or any of your networks and contacts who own rental properties. Because together, we can end homelessness in Wellington.
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DCM welcomes spring
Day to day life goes on at DCM as we prepare for what is traditionally a busy time of year. This month, DCM kaimahi joined together with taumai at our Seasonal Kai celebration for spring (kōanga). Our Seasonal Kai events are an important way for us to come together as a community, and enjoy some kai. DCM sits on the site of Te Aro Pā and just as the original inhabitants of the pā did, we mark the changing of the seasons by coming together this way.
Our taumai also enjoyed the chance to give back and some took part in preparing the kai. As we often find at DCM, our taumai possess great knowledge and talents which were fully on display at the Seasonal Kai celebration!
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Please help us get the message out there! Forward this email on to everyone you can think of who may be interested in how to respond to homelessness, and just generally people who are passionate about Wellington.
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Read More Success Stories
Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi
With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive
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Copyright © 2019 DCM. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
DCMPO Box 6133Marion SqWellington, Wellington 6011 New ZealandAdd us to your address book
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Accepted from DCM alerts archive
54 months ago
by feedreader
Tagged as: print government media events dental featured design wellington art housing coffee hospital people
28 Feb 2019 Downtown Community Ministry 96
February update from DCM - together we can end homelessness
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Marking milestones
This year at DCM we are celebrating our 50th birthday – but that is not the only milestone we have marked this month
Our inspirational director, Stephanie McIntyre, took up the role 15 years ago, in February 2004. 50 years ago, DCM was set up to support the most marginalised people in the city of Wellington (DCM's constitution). Under Stephanie's leadership, we have adopted the byline "together we can end homelessness" reflecting our current focus on one key marginalised group. How appropriate that we should mark Stephanie's anniversary with a morning tea at Te Hāpai (to lift up), the safe, welcoming space here at DCM for people who are experiencing homelessness. There we shared photos and memories from the last 15 years, and our taumai acknowledged the part Stephanie and DCM have played in lifting them up and supporting them on a journey to housing and greater wellbeing. We were very proud to acknowledge Stephanie as one of our featured supporters this month.
At the morning tea celebrating her 15 years at DCM, Stephanie noted that Te Amo was the only person who had worked at DCM longer than her. Te Amo works in our Foodbank, breaking down items, re-stocking the freezers with bread, and generally keeping the DCM whare clean and tidy.
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Our Foodbank needs your support
Another of the supporters we lifted up this month was Kaibosh, who supply a wide range of healthy, nutritious food for our taumai.
Food rescue service Kaibosh provides quality surplus food three times a week to DCM, and as you can see it includes fresh veges, which is a welcome boost for the nutritional needs of taumai.
In addition to food provided by Kaibosh, DCM's Foodbank relies on donated goods from the people of Wellington. The Foodbank has been busy lately, and we are very short of the following items:
Tinned stews and ready meals
Pasta and curry sauces
Jam, honey, peanut butter
Tinned fruit
Soap, toilet paper, washing powder
We would very much welcome your donations of food here at DCM, 2 Lukes Lane, week days or to our food donation bin at New World Chaffers any time.
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Our health volunteers
The other key supporters we featured this month as “kaitautoko of the week” were our dentists. Oral health care is one of the most significant unmet needs of the people who DCM works with, the most marginalised people in our city. This group of amazing dentists from the Wellington branch of the NZDA volunteer their time so that our taumai can receive much needed emergency dental treatment and pain relief.
At every session of the DCM Dental Service, we are reminded of just how significant this initiative is in enhancing the wellbeing of people in Wellington who are experiencing homelessness. Here are some examples of people who our dentists have supported recently.
'J' has been rough sleeping for some time. He came into DCM because he had tried to pull his own tooth out and left remnants behind, causing him further pain. He was seen by one of our dentists that day; he came back the next day pain free and ready to talk about his housing options.
'T' is a Māori man who has cycled in and out of homelessness over recent years. He is currently staying at the Night Shelter and has been taking pain relief for some badly infected teeth. He came in to DCM and was seen at the dental service. T needed a number of extractions, and the dentists recommended a second appointment at the DCM Dental Service. T has now been referred to Wellington Hospital; DCM staff will support him to connect with the hospital dental service to be fitted with dentures. The dental service has been important in continuing to build a strong relationship between DCM and T, to support our ongoing work to address his homelessness.
'H' is a daily visitor to Te Hapai. He is also profoundly deaf, and someone DCM staff have often struggled to communicate with. Last week he pointed to his teeth and we were able to make a dental appointment for him, writing the time down on an appointment card. We were unsure if he would remember, but he came to the appointment and was able to receive some much-needed treatment. He has been much more communicative and eager to engage with DCM since.
The fourth supporter we featured this month was eye doctor Paul Herrick. He runs a monthly session here at DCM – each time he sees 10-15 taumai, some of whom leave that very day with a new pair of glasses and a whole new view of the world.
For all our regular updates follow DCM on Facebook and Twitter.
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What can I do?
We are recruiting! Would you or any of your contacts like to join the amazing team at DCM?
We need experienced, qualified kaimahi to join our Sustaining Tenancies team, and our exciting new collaborative outreach team, supporting people who are experiencing homelessness, or at risk of homelessness. Visit our listings on Trademe here and here and please pass this along to anyone who may be interested.
For more ideas about how you can help, visit our website and Support DCM
Do you know others who would love to learn more about DCM and our work with people who are experiencing homelessness? Encourage them to join our mailing list for monthly updates during our 50th birthday year.
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Read More Success Stories
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Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi
With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive
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Copyright © 2019 DCM. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
DCMPO Box 6133Marion SqWellington, Wellington 6011 New ZealandAdd us to your address book
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
Accepted from DCM alerts archive
54 months ago
by feedreader
Tagged as: media dental featured wellington art housing hospital people
30 Jan 2019 Downtown Community Ministry 96
January update from DCM - together we can end homelessness
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What a gift!
DCM's 24th Bookfair in DCM's 50th birthday year
DCM's 50th birthday year has got off to a great start with the wonderful news that we will be able to hold another fundraising Bookfair. What a gift to DCM, our taumai and the many, many Wellingtonians who turn up at the Bookfair every year. Mark your diaries for Saturday 17 August 2019.
What can you do to help?
Write the date in your diary
Share the poster with your friends and networks - we need to get thousands of book lovers through the doors this year
We welcome your book donations, here at DCM, week days; we haven't been able to accept book donations for the last 6 months, so we encourage everybody to let their networks know that we are accepting books now so we can offer another high quality Bookfair in 2019
BUT MOST OF ALL! We are urgently seeking volunteer drivers to help transport books - please get in touch by emailing office@dcm.org.nz or phone (04) 384 7699
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Supporters of the Month
Each week during our 50th birthday year we are acknowledging one of our many kaitautoko (supporters), because together we can end homelessness in Wellington. In January, we have lifted up:
Our DCM Bookfair sorters who eagerly await your book donations
Press Hall Food Court who put on an amazing lunch for taumai, bringing their kai to us
DCM Chairperson Kevin who has been on our board for 14 years now, supporting our staff and mahi
Rick from Temple Sinai who picks up kai from Pandoro so we can offer hospitality to people who have been rough sleeping in the city of Wellington
For all our regular updates follow DCM on Facebook and Twitter.
Housing First
Another exciting development in our 50th birthday year will be the launch of a Wellington Housing First service. We look forward to sharing more about this as the year progresses. To learn more about Housing First, enjoy meeting Tony in this video. Tony was housed from homelessness by DCM in 2018, and the pride he has in his new whare will inspire you.
If you know of any qualified social workers who may be interested in joining our Housing First team, please get in touch.
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What can I do?
Give our taumai a gift in our 50th birthday year. DCM's Te Hāpai service is a welcoming space for people who are rough sleeping. We are looking for a coffee filter sponsor ($30 a month), sugar sponsor ($50 a month) and a milk powder sponsor ($120 a month).
For more ideas about how you can help visit our website and Support DCM
Do you know others who would love to learn more about DCM and our work with people who are experiencing homelessness? Encourage them to join our mailing list for monthly updates during our 50th birthday year.
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Read More Success Stories
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Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi
With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive
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Accepted from DCM alerts archive
54 months ago
by feedreader
Tagged as: transport media video books wellington art housing sport coffee hospital people
27 Mar 2018 Downtown Community Ministry 96
In the census, did the homeless count?
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With the 2018 census pushed online there’s been much discussion about reaching those without computer access. Lee-Anne Duncan visits Wellington’s DCM.
In the census, did the homeless count?
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Ngā mihi mahana,
In this month's census, DCM was determined to ensure that our taumai were counted. We wanted to share this story from The Spinoff with you at the end of this tax year, and invite you to make a donation to the on-going work of DCM in Wellington. Remember that for every dollar you donate, you can claim one-third back as a tax deduction.
In the census, did the homeless count?
With the 2018 census pushed online there’s been much discussion about reaching those without computer access, who still need someone to knock on their door. But what about those without even a door to knock upon? Lee-Anne Duncan visited DCM.
The southerly marks a sharp turn from a stunner summer to chilly autumn. At the start of each season, DCM marks the change with “Seasonal Kai”, a lunch they put on for their “taumai” – which is what DCM calls the people it supports, Wellington’s vulnerably housed or homeless.
Some 30 taumai – meaning “to settle” – have come to the lunch. About half are Māori and there’s only one woman, a fair representation of DCM’s clientele.
They’re very welcome. With the food waiting, a karakia is given and everyone is asked to consider what the change to the colder months means for those sleeping rough, those without a home.
It’s happenstance the quarterly kai has fallen on that day, one of three in early March that hi-vis-clad Statistics New Zealand’s field officers are at DCM to guide taumai through filling out the census forms. But it likely means a few more have turned up and will agree to add their details to the national count – something DCM encourages those assembled to do.
“This is a really important time for taumai to have a voice and tell the government we need to build more houses and feed more support and resources back to you. Filling out the census helps you add your voice,” the group is told.
Situated on the site of Wellington’s Te Aro Pā, DCM’s kaupapa follows what would have happened at the pā all those years ago.
“This is where people came for food, for shelter, for community, to have a voice, to speak, to be heard, to be lifted up, to be counted,” says DCM’s Michelle Scott. “So for us, supporting our people to be included in the census reinforces the kaupapa of this place.
“It’s been a great opportunity for our community to get together, to chew the fat about what’s important, what’s necessary for them to move forward, and what society should be prioritising.”
That’s exactly what Statistics NZ’s Dr John Mitchell set out to record when refocusing on how to count the hard-to-reach. “Many of them have high needs in terms of government services. Since government spending decisions are made on the basis of census data it’s even more important they are counted.”
Without needing as many people to go door-to-door this time, John says they could dedicate field officers to target people who couldn’t be reached with an internet code.
“That includes groups who are low responding and need more encouragement and assistance to be enabled to do the census. We had a community engagement team out talking to many communities – Māori, Pacific, culturally and linguistically diverse communities – getting the message across why it’s important to do the census, and looking at ways to enable them. A subset of that was obviously the rough sleeping homeless.”
As John’s team was out engaging, Michelle was also looking for ways to enable taumai to take part in the census. The organisation had worked hard to encourage them to vote in last year’s election, and many did. The feeling of empowerment, of having a say and being heard, remained.
John and Michelle came up with the idea of having census officers at DCM – and other similar organisations around the country – to help marginalised people fill in the census.
“Usually that’s done by a street count,” says John. “Where field officers walk along looking for people sleeping rough, and try to persuade them to give enough information to complete at least some of the individual form.
“This census we’ve taken a multi-faceted approach. We’ve done a street count, but in eight cities we’ve worked with organisations who engaged directly using different approaches depending on what would suit their clients.”
“It seems to have gone well, with lots of buy-in by letting the people the rough sleepers know and trust recommend doing the census.”
Trust is certainly a major issue for taumai and others like them. While voting is just ticking a box, filling out the census means handing over personal information.
“But they trust DCM and trust us not to get them into trouble,” says Natalia Cleland, one of DCM’s social workers.
“We’ve been talking about the census for weeks. We put up notices covering what the census is about, why it’s useful and what happens with the information. Our taumai also had the chance to tell us their concerns, then we could get the right information to give them confidence.”
“It also gave them time to gather the information they needed,” says Michelle. “We could say, ‘If you’re Māori and you aren’t sure about your iwi, go away and find out so you can include it in the census’.
“We wanted them to come with that rich part of who they are and what’s gone before them. It really appealed to them as a topic of conversation and it was fascinating to see them connecting and discussing their various backgrounds. So lots of other positive things have come out of doing the census here.”
But for the country the main benefit of having three days of census filling at DCM, and like organisations, is that many people have registered their existence who otherwise wouldn’t have.
“Some of our people don’t have any ID and may not even be recorded on any databases. If they’ve filled out the census they are recorded somewhere as a human being and as a New Zealander,” says Michelle.
While not having an address is one barrier to filling out the census, low-to-no literacy is another. Even taumai who DCM has supported into housing came in for support, with one knocking at DCM’s door at 8:55am on census day morning, waving his census form.
Yes, Statistics NZ offered to send field officers to people’s homes if they needed help, but that wouldn’t have worked for all of DCM’s taumai, says Michelle. “This is where their whānau is. Here, some of them have sat in our marae atea and discussed their answers with each other. They had kōrero with others who had already done it, and they’d say, ‘Well, I did that, I ticked that box’, so they got a huge resource from one another.”
Robert is one who wouldn’t have completed the census without DCM’s help. Released from prison in 2016, he slept for a while in his van. He’s housed now, but came to DCM to do this census – his first ever. “If someone hadn’t helped me, I would have just got pissed off with trying. We were told the story of why you should fill it out, and then it made sense to me so I did it.
“I encourage people who have been in prison all their lives to do this. It’s a piece of the puzzle that is missing. When we include ourselves in things like this, it helps us to feel part of the bigger picture and you want to do it more and more. It feels pretty cool to fill it out.”
Jason sleeps anywhere that’s (hopefully) warm and dry. Along with homelessness, literacy issues would have prevented him filling out the census.
“I understand we’re not counted but they’re trying to make a change, the government. I wanted to fill it out because it adds to the big picture. But without someone helping me, I couldn’t. I appreciate DCM giving us the opportunity to have a voice.”
The staff at DCM are happy to play their part in drawing that big picture. “It’s not giving an accurate picture of New Zealand society if we count only people who are willing and able to fill out their census forms,” says Natalia.
“We’re helping provide New Zealand build an accurate picture of who we are, and who are the ones with the highest needs. That feels really valuable.”
Statistics NZ can’t pinpoint when this year’s data will be available, but be sure everyone at DCM will be watching to see how that data is used.
“We’ve reinforced that this is about reciprocity – ‘tuki atu, tuku mai’, another of our kaupapa,” says Michelle. “We told our taumai that they give their information so, in turn, the government can support them – with enough houses, hospitals, doctors, etc.
“They now feel like they have a voice, that they count. Now they are watching to see if they’ve been heard.”
Freelance journalist Lee-Anne Duncan contributed this piece as a volunteer for The Community Comms Collective, whose pro bono clients include DCM.
Thank you for your ongoing support,
From everyone at DCM.
Click Here to Donate Now!
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Accepted from DCM alerts archive
54 months ago
by feedreader
Tagged as: government media internet freelance wellington art housing hospital people
27 Mar 2018 Downtown Community Ministry 96
In the census, did the homeless count?
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With the 2018 census pushed online there’s been much discussion about reaching those without computer access. Lee-Anne Duncan visits Wellington’s DCM.
In the census, did the homeless count?
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Ngā mihi mahana,
In this month's census, DCM was determined to ensure that our taumai were counted. We wanted to share this story from The Spinoff with you at the end of this tax year, and invite you to make a donation to the on-going work of DCM in Wellington. Remember that for every dollar you donate, you can claim one-third back as a tax deduction.
In the census, did the homeless count?
With the 2018 census pushed online there’s been much discussion about reaching those without computer access, who still need someone to knock on their door. But what about those without even a door to knock upon? Lee-Anne Duncan visited DCM.
The southerly marks a sharp turn from a stunner summer to chilly autumn. At the start of each season, DCM marks the change with “Seasonal Kai”, a lunch they put on for their “taumai” – which is what DCM calls the people it supports, Wellington’s vulnerably housed or homeless.
Some 30 taumai – meaning “to settle” – have come to the lunch. About half are Māori and there’s only one woman, a fair representation of DCM’s clientele.
They’re very welcome. With the food waiting, a karakia is given and everyone is asked to consider what the change to the colder months means for those sleeping rough, those without a home.
It’s happenstance the quarterly kai has fallen on that day, one of three in early March that hi-vis-clad Statistics New Zealand’s field officers are at DCM to guide taumai through filling out the census forms. But it likely means a few more have turned up and will agree to add their details to the national count – something DCM encourages those assembled to do.
“This is a really important time for taumai to have a voice and tell the government we need to build more houses and feed more support and resources back to you. Filling out the census helps you add your voice,” the group is told.
Situated on the site of Wellington’s Te Aro Pā, DCM’s kaupapa follows what would have happened at the pā all those years ago.
“This is where people came for food, for shelter, for community, to have a voice, to speak, to be heard, to be lifted up, to be counted,” says DCM’s Michelle Scott. “So for us, supporting our people to be included in the census reinforces the kaupapa of this place.
“It’s been a great opportunity for our community to get together, to chew the fat about what’s important, what’s necessary for them to move forward, and what society should be prioritising.”
That’s exactly what Statistics NZ’s Dr John Mitchell set out to record when refocusing on how to count the hard-to-reach. “Many of them have high needs in terms of government services. Since government spending decisions are made on the basis of census data it’s even more important they are counted.”
Without needing as many people to go door-to-door this time, John says they could dedicate field officers to target people who couldn’t be reached with an internet code.
“That includes groups who are low responding and need more encouragement and assistance to be enabled to do the census. We had a community engagement team out talking to many communities – Māori, Pacific, culturally and linguistically diverse communities – getting the message across why it’s important to do the census, and looking at ways to enable them. A subset of that was obviously the rough sleeping homeless.”
As John’s team was out engaging, Michelle was also looking for ways to enable taumai to take part in the census. The organisation had worked hard to encourage them to vote in last year’s election, and many did. The feeling of empowerment, of having a say and being heard, remained.
John and Michelle came up with the idea of having census officers at DCM – and other similar organisations around the country – to help marginalised people fill in the census.
“Usually that’s done by a street count,” says John. “Where field officers walk along looking for people sleeping rough, and try to persuade them to give enough information to complete at least some of the individual form.
“This census we’ve taken a multi-faceted approach. We’ve done a street count, but in eight cities we’ve worked with organisations who engaged directly using different approaches depending on what would suit their clients.”
“It seems to have gone well, with lots of buy-in by letting the people the rough sleepers know and trust recommend doing the census.”
Trust is certainly a major issue for taumai and others like them. While voting is just ticking a box, filling out the census means handing over personal information.
“But they trust DCM and trust us not to get them into trouble,” says Natalia Cleland, one of DCM’s social workers.
“We’ve been talking about the census for weeks. We put up notices covering what the census is about, why it’s useful and what happens with the information. Our taumai also had the chance to tell us their concerns, then we could get the right information to give them confidence.”
“It also gave them time to gather the information they needed,” says Michelle. “We could say, ‘If you’re Māori and you aren’t sure about your iwi, go away and find out so you can include it in the census’.
“We wanted them to come with that rich part of who they are and what’s gone before them. It really appealed to them as a topic of conversation and it was fascinating to see them connecting and discussing their various backgrounds. So lots of other positive things have come out of doing the census here.”
But for the country the main benefit of having three days of census filling at DCM, and like organisations, is that many people have registered their existence who otherwise wouldn’t have.
“Some of our people don’t have any ID and may not even be recorded on any databases. If they’ve filled out the census they are recorded somewhere as a human being and as a New Zealander,” says Michelle.
While not having an address is one barrier to filling out the census, low-to-no literacy is another. Even taumai who DCM has supported into housing came in for support, with one knocking at DCM’s door at 8:55am on census day morning, waving his census form.
Yes, Statistics NZ offered to send field officers to people’s homes if they needed help, but that wouldn’t have worked for all of DCM’s taumai, says Michelle. “This is where their whānau is. Here, some of them have sat in our marae atea and discussed their answers with each other. They had kōrero with others who had already done it, and they’d say, ‘Well, I did that, I ticked that box’, so they got a huge resource from one another.”
Robert is one who wouldn’t have completed the census without DCM’s help. Released from prison in 2016, he slept for a while in his van. He’s housed now, but came to DCM to do this census – his first ever. “If someone hadn’t helped me, I would have just got pissed off with trying. We were told the story of why you should fill it out, and then it made sense to me so I did it.
“I encourage people who have been in prison all their lives to do this. It’s a piece of the puzzle that is missing. When we include ourselves in things like this, it helps us to feel part of the bigger picture and you want to do it more and more. It feels pretty cool to fill it out.”
Jason sleeps anywhere that’s (hopefully) warm and dry. Along with homelessness, literacy issues would have prevented him filling out the census.
“I understand we’re not counted but they’re trying to make a change, the government. I wanted to fill it out because it adds to the big picture. But without someone helping me, I couldn’t. I appreciate DCM giving us the opportunity to have a voice.”
The staff at DCM are happy to play their part in drawing that big picture. “It’s not giving an accurate picture of New Zealand society if we count only people who are willing and able to fill out their census forms,” says Natalia.
“We’re helping provide New Zealand build an accurate picture of who we are, and who are the ones with the highest needs. That feels really valuable.”
Statistics NZ can’t pinpoint when this year’s data will be available, but be sure everyone at DCM will be watching to see how that data is used.
“We’ve reinforced that this is about reciprocity – ‘tuki atu, tuku mai’, another of our kaupapa,” says Michelle. “We told our taumai that they give their information so, in turn, the government can support them – with enough houses, hospitals, doctors, etc.
“They now feel like they have a voice, that they count. Now they are watching to see if they’ve been heard.”
Freelance journalist Lee-Anne Duncan contributed this piece as a volunteer for The Community Comms Collective, whose pro bono clients include DCM.
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