11 March 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hamilton Mayor Andrew King Ignores Advice with Latest Billboard Campaign

Hamilton City Councillor Angela O’Leary says the Mayor has ignored staff and external stakeholder advice with his latest billboard campaign.

“These billboards will tell visitors to our city we have a significant begging problem, it’s unsafe, so don’t come here” O’Leary said.

The message ‘Your Help May Harm’ was developed a few years ago as just one part of the work of The People’s Project - an organisation aimed at ending homelessness.

O’Leary is Chairperson of The People’s Project Governance Group and said the message was developed for businesses in the CBD, and it was collectively agreed by the governance group that a gentle approach to rolling it out over time was appropriate.

“While we understand that at times people begging can make some members of the public feel unsafe, there are genuine vulnerable people in this story, and getting those people connected to the services they need is our main focus” O’Leary said.

Hamilton Central Business Association and staff from The Peoples Project worked with businesses in the CBD to help them understand the issue of begging and what to do about it, which at the time was starting to emerge as an issue in Hamilton.

“Through research what we know is that not all beggars are homeless, and not all homeless people beg. Without the context of the work the group has done, these billboards will send a message to visitors and our residents that we have a significant problem and that our city is unsafe. This is simply not the case and undermines the good work being done by the group” O’Leary said.

“In comparison to other cities Hamilton’s issue is a small one, this latest crusade of the Mayor’s says otherwise” she said.

The other members who sit on the governance group are WDHB, NZ Police, Te Puni Kokiri, Housing NZ, Hamilton Central Business Association, Waikato Tainui, Department of Corrections, and Ministry of Social Development.

ENDS.

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