New Plymouth's rough sleepers back car park solution

A group of rough sleepers in New Plymouth are backing a proposal to allow them to use a council car park as a place to hang out.

But they are warning a police crackdown on their behaviour in the CBD will only push them out into residential neighbourhoods.

Inner-city retailers pushed the idea of using the lower deck of the car park at an invite-only meeting organised by the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce earlier this week. They said it would give rough sleepers a place to congregate during the day and stop them intimidating shoppers.

At the same meeting, acting area commander Andrew Fabish promised more police on the beat in town and a tough stance on unlawful behaviour in the CBD.

Sel was hanging with mates at Puke Ariki. He supported the car park idea.

"I'm all for it. A couple of business ladies - I won't mention their names - but I'm really grateful for them. I was there when they pulled the idea out, and now you've got word of it."

Sel, who has 'NZ' tattooed on his cheek, said the car park had plenty of positives.

"Warm, we're down the bottom out [of] everyone's way. You know we're not on the main street, we've got our own area. Give us some rules and we'll keep it clean."

He was happy living rough.

'I've got used to the streets now. I had a house, but I gave it up. No point in having a house if I can't bring my mates around and have no one to share it with.

"I love the streets, and if I was offered a house I'd still come back. You just feel free. You get a lot of abuse, but that's nothing to me - I'm used to it all. I'm humble now, I can handle it."

Sel was arrested following an incident in the city and was now barred from the CBD as part of his bail conditions.

"I suppose I've got to give it to them - it's the best way to get rid of us. But if you get us off the streets we are going to be in the community, and they're the ones that moan.

"Leave us in the city, give us some rules to abide by and if we muck up, move us on. But they haven't given us a chance - we've got no structure, so how are we going to abide by the rules if we haven't got any?"

He was not interested in staying at a night shelter being built at the YMCA.

"I'll still sleep on the street. I'm grateful for what the shelter's done, but I'll still be on the street. Some of us are on the street to look for a house, but not me."

The shower and laundry service was also of little interest.

"I've got family. I've got my kids and that, and I go and have showers. I'm not untidy. I'm just homeless, haven't got a house. I've got everything in my resume, quite qualified, done my homework, finished school."

A 36-year-old, who preferred not to give his name, had just emerged from Waimanako/The Hope Centre on Devon Street. He had been rough sleeping for three years.

"Just had a couple of struggles and ended up with nothing, so I'm down here at the moment."

He explained the attraction of downtown.

"It's where we all are and we feel safer together, I suppose."

He had been using the new YMCA showers, and reckoned the car park would be an okay place to go during the day.

"Yeah, it would be good for us instead of being out here and being looked at like we are up to no good or something. Somewhere for us to go and hang out by ourselves and away from everyone out here."

Rough sleepers had used the car park previously.

"We were up on level five for a little bit, a few of us, but because there were too many of us up there we had to move away from there."

He had had emergency housing in the past with an ex-partner, and wanted to get off the streets.

"It's just a struggle just trying to get a house and get help. I'm just a single male trying to get a home and there's families out there that, you know, that are better off getting a home."

Lawson had accommodation at the moment, but also had a long history on the streets.

"Mate, I was kicked out at 14 years old from my parents, and yeah, the streets was my only life for 25-plus years. Quite a long time, but I haven't got a criminal record or anything like that."

He said life on the street was less complex.

"It's just an easier way of life, to tell you the truth. It's a lot easier than being in a house. Life's a lot easier out here."

Lawson had always felt safe.

"I never stayed down here, but where I was, I was safe."

Lawson, who liked to look out for the rough sleepers, was a fan of the car park idea.

"It'll be a lot warmer and there won't be so much trouble, because they're cold out here and they move around and are having fights or intimidating the public."

He was realistic about the challenges faced by the rough sleeper community.

"It's more to do with mental health, yeah I'd say, for most of the people out here - it's mental health. Half these people don't want help, that's the hardest thing.

"A lot of people have come to help us, given us solutions and that, but one comes up and intimidates them and they're just gone and we're back at square one again."

Alcohol and drugs were a problem also.

Daniel, who had ridden up on his bike, was onboard with the car park idea too.

"Anywhere that's dry, for sure."

But not so much the YMCA.

"Too much talk. I haven't seen nothing, but I'm not worried about it. I don't really want a house because I'm always in and out of jail."

Daniel had been on the streets for 20 years.

"Too many years, I've done too many years [on the streets]. I'm the longest at the moment."

He didn't have an answer when asked what would be a solution for his predicament.

"I don't think that far. I just take each day as it comes."

Meanwhile, Sel reiterated kicking rough sleepers out of the city was not going to work.

"I learned a good lesson though - I know not to play up in town, simple as that.

"But it's not going to get rid of us - we're just going to come back, but we're going to behave ourselves, you see? But we're still going to come back."

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