By Gurbir Singh:
The number of people living without shelter or sleeping rough, remains a challenge for Hamilton that has seen a staggering increase of 300% in just under a year.
The ever-increasing presence of such people on city streets, their reliance on drugs, frequent brawls and reports of alleged intimidation are having a toll on the community.
Businesses located in areas such as in the vicinity of Five Cross Roads, Hamilton East and parts of Anglesea Street seem to be worst affected.
NewsViews was alerted on 12th Jan. to an incident on Anglesea Street, outside the shelter house managed by Te Whare Korowai Taangata o Kirikiriroa involving two groups of people. Punches were thrown, one person was pinned to the ground, abuses were hurled, and some were chased down the street and assaulted. Later at least one person was taken away by Police who arrived quickly on the scene.
Several businesses are located in the vicinity, including two dental clinics, one gun shop, a auto parts outlet, etc. One business owner, who did not wish to be identified, was critical of the increase in such skirmishes that had become almost a “daily occurrence”.
“We are losing our clientage as people don’t feel safe, are intimidated by the presence of these homeless people crowding the nearby bus-stops, loitering in our car parking areas, on our door fronts in the morning and most of them appear to be on drugs. It is traumatic for our clients and employees also.” They also blamed closed businesses on the street to the problem created by homeless people.
They, however, sympathise and understand most of the homeless would have gone through traumatic environments or be suffering from mental health conditions or addicted to drugs. “But why should we suffer and lose business in already tight economic conditions because of their presence or intimidating behaviour?”
The business-owner blamed the location of emergency shelter and transitional housing for homeless run on Anglesea Street by Te Whare Korowai Taangata o Kirikiriroa – Hamilton Christian Nightshelter Trust.
“The problem of such incidents happening frequently is because those residing in shelter home congregate in the street outside and often cause chaos. Te Whare Korowai needs to shift this shelter house to somewhere outside the business area so we do not suffer.”
Joanne Turner, CEO of Te Whare Korowai however, refuted the allegations when their attention was brought to the 12th Jan incident by NewsViews.
“We have been in Anglesea Street since 2011 and operating since 1999,” Turner said in a written response.
“An incident occurred yesterday (12 Jan) lunchtime between a ‘streetie’ who has previously been (and is currently) trespassed and a group of people in two cars. I am unsure as to what the altercation was about, but she had been walking past with her trolley when she was accosted and assaulted. Our team attempted to intervene and called the police who arrived in record time.
“With regards to the trespassed female, the police have had multiple interactions with her over the years. Their hands are tied. They cannot even keep her in custody or obtain support from our Mental Health or addiction services. Our safety net is full of massive gaping holes.”
When NewsViews asked if their facility could be moved elsewhere as demanded by a business-owner in the vicinity, Turner says ”we are open to solutions..(but) shifting is not a solution,” and it was wrong to blame them.
“We are solution focussed and trying to reduce the impact of homelessness. I could write a book about the lack of supports available for those suffering long term mental health and their reliance on drugs to change their abysmal reality.
“We regularly receive accusations about the people who stay with us when it is usually those we have been unable to support due to the risk. It is a catch 22 to serve homeless people and then to be attacked for serving homeless people.
“Just yesterday, one of our guests had a gun pointed at him by a patron of Gun City,” Turner says. Gun City is a firearms store situated across the road from Te Whare Korowai.
The charity is aware of the congregations at adjoining bus stops, but “we have given up monitoring the bus stop as it has become too dangerous. Predominantly it is used by those who have been trespassed from our facilities.”
The problem appears to be getting out of hand and some residents have been airing this online also. In one social media post, a Hamilton East resident who had her baby in the stroller claimed she was “punched on the face at the Clyde Street shopping centre by a homeless person”. Another wrote about the “needles left behind is insane…(and how) disgusting and shameful on Hamilton as a town.”
The underlying causes to homeless or those sleeping rough could be poverty, inequality, debt, family violence, trauma, mental health, drug/alcohol addiction, etc.
Cocaine use has surged 43% in New Zealand according to a waste water data report released by police in Dec 2025.
Joanne Turner, CEO of Te Whare Korowai says there has been a reduction of resources to help those, for example, who are raised in traumatic environments, suffering acute mental health conditions or turn to drug and alcohol use, etc.
“Don’t be fooled into believing that housing is a major factor,” and with absence of proper support, “the increase in impact in the Hamilton community will continue to worsen,” she said.
“Council needs to intervene and find a solution. Currently, it appears no one wants to own responsibility,” says the disgruntled business-owner as they ponder what the solution might be to the problem caused by homeless.
