This article appeared in the Waikato Times on May 3, 2024.
TPP Hamilton manager Dr Carole McMinn and TPP GM Kerry Hawkes
One of the most comprehensive studies into how to get people off the streets is pointing to Hamilton as a success story that could be rolled out elsewhere.
Support for as long as someone needs it is one of the key drivers behind the success of The People’s Project (TPP) which has been highlighted in an Otago-led study.
Researchers followed the health, income and justice outcomes of 387 people in the first five years after they were housed through TPP’s Housing First programme.
It found that the lives of people housed through the initiative “dramatically improved”, including a 44% drop in hospitalisations, a 74% drop in residential mental health bed-nights, a 43% drop in criminal charges and a rise in income from both benefits and paid work.
TPP are incredibly proud of the results, general manager Kerry Hawkes says. “The numbers are so significant. I’ve been in health for a very long time and it’s not often you get studies like this that prove that the approach that you’re taking is actually making a really significant difference. So we feel very proud.”
Read the full article on the Waikato Times’ website: Champions at getting people off the streets | Waikato Times
