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.