Rough sleepers have set up camp in downtown New Plymouth. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
The subterranean level of a council car park, a derelict nightclub and a prison dating back to the 1870s have all been suggested as temporary places for New Plymouth's rough sleepers to hang out during the day.
At the second hui on the issue in just weeks, the car park emerged as a possible short-term fix for a group of homeless who have been camping out in the CBD for years.
About 50 business people attended the invite-only panel discussion which featured representatives from police, council, the Ministry of Social Development, social service providers and the local MP.
Apart from acting district commander Andrew Fabish - who promised more cops on the beat - they heard little in the way of concrete solutions, but plenty about how complex the problem was.
Dianne Gibbons' business Shampoo Plus was adjacent to Waimanako / The Hope Centre - which offered pay-what-you-can meals and counselling services - and had become a popular place for rough sleepers to congregate.
"It's just intimidating there's some new ones at the moment who obviously aren't aware of us and our connection we have with the others, so they are just intimidating us all day at the moment a lot of the young ones.
"And just getting to work freaking about whether I'm going to have to move someone away from my doorway."
She suggested the car park basement - which rough sleepers had been using until access was locked last week - could be used as a stop-gap solution ahead of the nearby social services building being demolished later this year.
The car park in downtown New Plymouth. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
"Not on a permanent basis but I think as a fixture for now, it gives them somewhere warm and dry and there is a camera down there and that way they are not out on the street intimidating people.
"As I said my business is struggling but I feel for them as well because I know all of them by name, they all know me by name."
Council chief executive Gareth Green had reservations, but was open to the idea.
"There was some health and safety issues with how it was previously and what council was committed to doing was working with the different agencies to find a solution and the car park may well be that. I think it's an intriguing idea that we need to do more work around."
Pressed about why the link to the car park and Waimanako had been locked, Green elaborated.
"There were some health and safety issues particularly with access to that car park which is out of sight of CCTV and lighting. Users of the car park were being put at risk."
'The Mill' - a derelict former nightclub, was also floated as a suggestion. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Acting district commander Andrew Fabish was onboard.
"As a temporary idea I don't have any issue with it and if people are sort of staying in one spot it's safe for them as well then I'm quite supportive of exploring it."
Founder of the mental health refuge Taranaki Retreat and Waimanako / The Hope Centre, Jamie Allen, could see potential fishhooks.
"Often those kinds of solutions where they are home-brewed and they're informally happening and nobody knows they're informally happening that's in a different league to 'we're condoning the use of this building for this purpose' and then that brings in a whole lot of regulatory issues that then become problematic."
Jamie Allen floated the idea of using derelict former nightclub 'The Mill' - but immediately played that down as its neighbour was a liquor store.
He also dismissed relocating to the former New Plymouth prison as suggested from the floor. saying that, spiritually, it was just wrong.
The prison in New Plymouth, dating back to the 1870s. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
However, he agreed the clock was ticking.
"Yup, it's a pressing timeframe and our board are like going 'this is a pressing timeframe everybody and we really need to get our act together' and we are. The building is going to go we know that, but the service will not be going."
Many New Plymouth businesses, meanwhile, are hoping a relocated Waimanako - away from the shopping precinct - will be attractive enough to act as a magnet for the rough sleeping community.
Earlier this year the council and the philanthropic Toi Foundation allocated more than $1 million to establish a night shelter at the YMCA's building in central New Plymouth, and shower and laundry services were already up and running.
It would begin offering beds to 22 people later this year.
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