20 Apr 2014

Homeless Court doing much better than expected

8:39 am on 20 April 2014

The Government says Te Kooti o Timatanga Hou (The New Beginnings Court) which caters for homeless people, is doing better than was ever expected.

It brings government agencies together, including health services and housing, to work with the homeless person, with the aim of stopping repeat minor offending.

Courts Minister Chester Borrows said the court is funded year to year, but he had checked with the ministers in charge of the other agencies and there were no plans to withdraw funding.

A review of the court found that six months into the programme, arrest rates had dropped by two thirds and nights spent in hospital had more than halved.