Sleeping rough for Auckland’s homeless

A recent sleepout in response to new government legislation received huge support on Saturday, March 7.

Debbie Munroe, who runs the Waka of Caring Charitable Trust, says she was encouraged to hold the ‘Sleeping Under the Stars’ event after the government’s proposed laws to move Auckland’s homeless.

“I spoke with my volunteers and said we need to make a statement and stand up for those who don’t have a voice. We decided that a sleepout would be better than a march.”

The night began at 7pm and started with a karakea (a traditional Maori prayer). Munroe covered all of the safety aspects and discussed the sleepout’s purpose. Gazebos were set up, and food was available throughout the night, including a sausage sizzle.

The homeless came down to speak with attendees and spoke to them about their experiences. One man came with his family, who had been homeless seven years ago, but had been helped by Waka of Caring.

In the end, about 250 people came and stayed until around 11pm, including families who slept all night with their kids. A highlight of the event was Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson, who came and stayed until 2am.

Munroe reports that there was no trouble and plenty of support throughout the night, with people consistently dropping off food, and she says it was worth it because it made people more aware of what it was like to sleep rough. The event was so successful that a march named “Housing not Handcuffs” is being organised for tomorrow, March 22.

“A lot of people talk about the lack of support and understanding of why people are homeless. People think a lot of homeless [people] are a bunch of drug addicts, and not a lot of them are,” says Munroe.

She also made it clear that Sleeping Under the Stars was not sponsored or a fundraising event. It was done to raise awareness only. Munroe says that any money is better spent on other things, like housing and keeping people warm at night.

“At Waka of Caring, we don’t make money; everything is free. I’m not about to start making money off of a very, very bad situation.”

People become homeless for several reasons, some of which are completely out of their control. They may have lost their jobs, are unable to pay their rent, income support may not be able to help them, their marriages might break up, etc.

Waka of Caring began 12 years ago when Munroe began feeding people living on the street. Now the trust hands out 280 food parcels a day, as well as toys, books, free clothing, furniture, and kitchenware. They also run a men’s, a women’s, and a golden oldies group.