New approach for social service delivery tested

People seeking housing and income support assistance can now get the help they need at one location in a new approach being tested in South Auckland, Housing and Social Development and Employment Minister Steve Maharey said today.

The new integrated approach is being run as a pilot in Mangere to test its effectiveness. The service was officially launched today by Taito Phillip Field, Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment, who visited the centre to see it in operation.

Steve Maharey said the Mangere initiative was one of three practical projects being undertaken to enable social services agencies to better work together.

“Housing New Zealand Corporation and Work and Income staff are working alongside each other in the Mangere Work and Income Service Centre to make it easier for people needing housing and other support.

“Co-locating staff from both organisations helps tackle a growing need in Mangere for affordable housing, as well as ensuring people dealing with multiple agencies receive their full and correct entitlements and improved access to other assistance.

“With pressure on state house waiting lists in areas like Mangere, it is important that people needing housing are helped to get their proper entitlements as doing so may enable them to keep their existing private tenancies or obtain other more affordable housing in the private sector.”

“Other initiatives being developed to better integrate social development agencies are: a pilot project in the Auckland area to establish programmes and services for young people moving from state care to independence. Child, Youth and Family, the Ministries of Social Development and Housing as well as Housing New Zealand Corporation will collaborate on the project; and work to improve on the ‘whole of government’ programme to address substandard housing and social development in Northland, the East Coast and eastern Bay of Plenty.

“Improving the lives of disadvantaged New Zealanders requires effective and co-ordinated social service agencies. These projects will go some way to achieving this,” said Steve Maharey.

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