Media Release
City Vision-Labour Councillors - Auckland City Council
For Immediate Release
Wednesday 3 December 2008

C&R Councillors Endorse Heartless Homeless Bylaw Process

At Auckland City Council's Community Services Committee today, Citizens and Ratepayers (C&R) councillors decided to punish and alienate homeless people by setting in train a bylaw process intended to move homeless people on and out of the CBD into Auckland's suburbs which will probably be unenforceable.

Councillor Richard Northey said, "Homelessness is a complex social and economic issue that cannot possibly in any way be solved by heavy handed, heartless and punitive regulatory measures.

"The bipartisan Auckland City Council investment, in collaboration with CBD-based social service agencies, in skilled support and advice and an integrated response to move people into long-term accommodation will be totally negated by heavy-handed regulatory enforcement to move the homeless out of sight without solving their problems," said Councillor Northey.

Councillor Cathy Casey said, "The Committee today recommended that $50,000 be put aside for a punitive response to homeless people on this city's streets. This was done without any statistics provided on the extent of any problem in the CBD indeed officers say in the report complaints about beggars and homeless people are down!

"There was also no advice given by NZ Police that they need or want this bylaw or that they have the means to enforce it.

"This $50,000 for a punitive and heartless bylaw is $10,000 more than the annual budget for all council's actions on homelessness!" Councillor Casey concluded.

ENDS

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