Viv Beck: Heart of the City CEO on the potential ban on homelessness in city centres

Auckland's central business association is backing a ban on homelessness in city centres – with conditions. 

During Question Time in Parliament yesterday, Labour suggested the Government was planning to introduce such a ban. 

A Heart of the City survey has found 90% of operators are affected by rough sleepers and begging. 

Chief Executive Viv Beck told Mike Hosking there needs to be change. 

She says most central businesses would support the move as long as there are really good solutions available for vulnerable people. 

However, she isn’t sure what the Government has decided to do, or whether an announcement is coming.  

But Beck told Hosking she's been making "good progress" in her talks with relevant ministers. 

She says they've discussed addressing economic risks and looking after people who need support. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, if you're watching question Time yesterday, and let's be honest,
who doesn't Labour's clearly got a sniff on homeless policies.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Is the government considering a law change to ban homeless
people from central business districts?

Speaker 1 (00:10):
There have been no cabinet decisions or discussion on that topic.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
If booting people out of emergency accommodation has fixed the
homelessness problem, why is the government now considering changing the
law to ban homeless people.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
This government has delivered housing affordability for people who want
to purchase a house or to rent a house, so
they clearly got are with you have? V Beck is
the heart of the city. CEO in Auckland's where usb
morning morning? Do you know anything?

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Well, we released a business survey four weeks ago, as
you know, and I think that has put economic risks
into sharp focus and we've actually been party to very
constructive discussions in that time about how we resolve issues.
And I can say that the Minister for Auckland, I
mean Brown, has has picked this up and working with

(00:58):
other ministers is you know people mutual Tima Potacker and
the discussions I've been involved in are very constructively looking
at how do we deal with the economic risk which
are real, and how do we look after people who
need support. So, as far as I'm concerned, we've seen
good progress.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
Good So is there a law change coming? Do you
know or do you hope?

Speaker 3 (01:21):
Well? I don't know for sure where the government's going
to land on this, and that's that you know. They'll
make that announcement when they're ready. But what I do
know is we need a game changer. We've got a
situation here where I think there is strong recognition that
a situation has arisen. It arose through COVID. We've had
various bursts of activity, more police, different social action, but

(01:45):
it's not actually resolving the issue to a point that
we need. We're coming out of ten years of disruption.
We have to have a different scenario. So what I'm
seeing is we need a game changer. We can't just
keep moving people around as long as there were really
good solutions for vulnerable people. I think a majority of
the people that we represent would support a scenario where

(02:08):
you don't lie on streets or you house people. I
don't know why.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
I don't know if you're watching Parliament yesterday, but they
seem squeamish about it. Why don't we just just just
be a bit blunt about it? And the cold hard
truth of homelessness is that it ruins central cities and
we need to clean it up and clear it out.
I mean, it's that simple, isn't it.

Speaker 3 (02:27):
I believe so. And what's been really pleasing in the
last four weeks is that there has been constructive debate
and people are recognizing these are real issues. We need
to be bold about this. We do have to care
for people. We've got a track record of caring for people.
The reality is, though we cannot leave it the way
it is, it does need a game change, and I
really hope the politics don't sabotage a really important issue

(02:50):
that needs resolving.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
I'm very well said, appreciate it because the heart of
the city, and this is not just Awku and of
course Wellington and christ you Sho suffered the same fate,
Mark Mitchell's and Bold and the cities with us after
eight o'clock, of course, but the Labor Party we're watching
Questions Time yesterday. We're asking as though somehow removing homeless
people from downtown and bringing life to downtown was a
bad thing, which seemed to me to be the weirdest

(03:14):
way of asking you a questionnaire.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
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Speaker 3 (03:19):
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