Hon Marama DavidsonAssociate 

Minister of Housing (Homelessness)

The second round of funding for local initiatives that help overcome homelessness across Aotearoa New Zealand opens on 16 November.

Some $6 million is available in round two of the Local Innovation and Partnership Fund, to support the development and implementation of local initiatives that respond to and prevent homelessness.

Funding is available to community groups and councils of up to $100,000 per initiative for small projects and up to $1 million per initiative for medium to large projects.

“This fund allows the Government to partner with organisations looking at locally driven, place-based solutions to homelessness in their rohe or region,” says Associate Housing Minister Marama Davidson. “Addressing homelessness is a key priority for this Government and it is a challenge that requires the collective mahi of many stakeholders.”

The latest funding round follows strong interest in round one in 2020, when about $4 million in grants were distributed to help community groups work together on initiatives to address homelessness.

Round one grant recipients included Te Taumata o Ngati Whakaue Iho Ake Trust (Rotorua), whose project aims to provide services, positive relationships and connection with tikanga Māori for people who have experienced long-term homelessness. Another successful applicant,155 Whare Awhina, used the grant to bring several organisations across Whangārei together to develop a taitamariki youth housing plan, co-designed with taitamariki young people facing housing deprivation.

“The Government wants to hear from more organisations like 155 Whare Awhina and Te Taumata o Ngati Whakaue Iho Ake Trust who were round one Grant recipients,” Minister Davidson says. “They’re making a difference in their communities in many ways.”

“All of the initiatives are being delivered through partnerships that include at least one community organisation with experience working with people experiencing homelessness and this will be the case again for round two,” Minister Davidson says.

The Local Innovation and Partnership Fund was set up in 2020. It was one of 18 actions set out in the Aotearoa Homelessness Action Plan to support local initiatives to reduce and prevent homelessness. It was designed to support Māori providers, hapū, iwi, community organisations, not for profit organisations and wider community partners to work together on innovative solutions to homelessness in their area.

The Action Plan made $16.6 million available through the fund over a three-year period.

Applications for the Local Innovation and Partnership Fund will be available on the HUD website: https://www.hud.govt.nz/local-innovation-partnership-fund and open between 16 November and 28 February 2022.

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