Black Coffee co-owner Paige Simoneau Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Vowing to stay and fight the good fight. That's how some residents and business owners in the Wellington suburb of Newtown say they are dealing with an increase in homelessness, drug taking and anti-social behaviour that's reaching desperate levels.
Others say they're packing up and leaving, fed up with an increase in abuse. Ellen O'Dwyer went to visit the suburb's stalwarts.
Mid-morning and Newtown's central cafe Black Coffee is humming.
It's a hub for mid-morning meetings, a place to hang out and people watch, or to find out what's going on in the suburb.
Co-owner Paige Simoneau has been at the forefront of calling attention to an increase in rough sleeping and anti-social behaviour.
She's hosted regular meetings with fellow business owners, residents and social agencies about the problem - under the name of the Newtown Consortium Group.
"I thought it would be a really small event, I threw on some free coffee, and actually nearly 40 people showed up, I almost didn't have enough room in the cafe.
"We had a really good discussion and plan moving forward, so I think I've hosted three or four of them now."
It generated a community workshop with the city council and first retail group for people to practise de-escalation techniques if affected by aggressive behaviour.
She's described the increase in the number of rough sleepers, drug-dealing and safety concerns as "heart-breaking", and said the community couldn't solve these problems by itself, echoing calls made this week for the government to come up with social housing solutions for the capital.
But she said the sense of pride in the neighbourhood is unwavering.
"Newtown's heart has always been really strong, and the community foundation has been diverse, and multi-cultural and there's always been some group that's wanted to show some betterment to everyone around. It's just about making those connections and working together," Simoneau said.
Homelessness is on the rise in Newtown. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Business owner getting to know street community
Newtown New World owner David Wickham said rough sleepers have been congregating outside the supermarket regularly.
He put security cameras outside the property and painted a black line near the entrance to the supermarket to indicate where the supermarket's property starts.
The line outside the New World supermarket. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
He said he's trying to get to know the street community himself.
"We spend a bit of time getting to know the people out there, so the ones we know who are regulars, we spend the time with them, to make sure they are continuing to get support."
He put a large part of the increase in rough sleeping and anti-social behaviour down to drug and alcohol abuse. He wanted to see an increase in addiction services, as well as the council-led city safety programme.
"The community is also very aware of it and they want to stop it from occurring, and they also want to help the people, which is one thing I definitely notice being here, is that they don't give up," Wickham said.
But for some residents, it is becoming too much.
Business owner mulls closure
RNZ has heard from a business owner who wants to shut his business after 32 years, because of the increase in anti-social behaviour, and what he sees as increase in untreated mental health issues.
He said there was a lack of mental health resources in the community for those in extreme need of it.
"I and many others can assure you it's certainly been getting progressively worse.
"From people defecating in public, once on our doorstep, a psychotic street person coming to our full shop, shouting and threatening language frightening our customers, another trying to smash shop signs. A lady sleeping rough defecating in public and... cutting herself."
From left, Matt Rutledge, Martin Hanley and Anna Kemble Welch with Whiskey the dog. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Further into Newtown, and Martin Hanley is in the thick of organising Newtown's famous festival, held in late summer each year.
It's grown from the celebration of a community park in the 1990s to a sprawling street-party with dozens of musical stages and arts and food stalls.
He said the community's sense of energy and initiative was why he loved it, and why he has stayed for 40-odd years.
"That's the spirit of the Newtown Festival growing from a tiny, little road closure to the scale it is now. It's the spirit of the creative activities and the arts collective that are hidden away in little warehouses in Newtown. It's the social agencies that have young volunteers - just the nature of [how] society works when people can talk to each other."
Back at the Cafe, Paige Simoneau agreed, and said, she was not going anywhere.
"I love Newtown, yeah, I think it's a thriving suburb, you won't see me abandon ship, I'll be here, fighting the good fight."
Mental Health Minister and Health NZ respond
RNZ submitted questions about whether there were enough mental health and addiction services in the Wellington region, and in the Newtown suburb to support an increase in rough sleepers.
Minister Matt Doocey said the recent homelessness insights report showed there was an increase in homeless people receiving mental health support throughout the country.
"My clear focus is on getting people into support, and to support them to get well faster."
Doocey said the government has introduced the first mental health and addiction targets to better identify areas of need and guide investment where it was most needed.
"The targets give us an ability to look at regions, like Wellington, to see how quickly people are accessing specialist and primary mental health support, and if issues are identified I expect the regional executive directors to put a plan in place to address the issue."
Health NZ acting regional director for mental health and addiction in the central region, Dr Alastair Willis, said there were a number of mental health, addiction and intellectual disability services operating in Newtown and the rest of the city.
He said that included the following teams based at Wellington Hospital in Newtown: Crisis Resolution Services, the Team for Assertive Community Treatment, and Te Roopu Āramuka Whāroaroa, which specialises in working with the homeless.
He said Newtown also had a Co-Response Team (CRT), a joint initiative with the police and Wellington Free Ambulance, a specialist addiction service close to the hospital, and community mental health teams.
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