'They have taken over': Tauranga grapples with growing homelessness

Businesses in Tauranga’s CBD say they are suffering and frustrated as issues with "aggressive" rough sleepers undermine revitalisation efforts.

By Ayla Yeoman of Local Democracy Reporter

One business moved to escape the problems, and another faces daily urine clean-ups.

Homelessness-related complaints to the Tauranga City Council have more than doubled since 2021, and people working at the coalface of the issue say homelessness has been increasing.

But they say the solutions are more complex than having enough housing.

The Bay of Plenty Times spoke with numerous CBD businesses, and many reported experiencing aggressive encounters and disruption.

Penny Henderson, who owns The Pottery Studio, said the business had moved from Devonport Rd to 10th Ave, in part because of issues caused by the homeless in the CBD.

"They could become quite aggressive. We’ve had one get really angry outside and start kicking things. Police came and took him away."

Many would shout and yell at nothing – "you take a wide berth of those ones".

Henderson said they had been "lucky" the neighbouring business was open during the same hours and would help when issues arose.

The Barrio Brothers and Sugo owner Josh Fitzgerald said everyone was trying to make Tauranga CBD a more attractive place, and the homelessness situation was not helping.

"Belongings are scattered all through the public space. They have full campsites."

He had no issue with homeless people sitting and begging for money, but "they have taken over".

"It’s the CBD business owners who suffer.

"It’s frustrating because it just seems like everyone is powerless to do anything."

Fitzgerald said a homeless person broke into one of his restaurants one night last year.

He said he did not receive any compensation for the damage caused.

Tranquillo Beauty Clinic owner Dani Sheridan said she and her staff had experienced multiple "unpleasant" interactions with the homeless on Grey St.

"A staff member of mine was almost bitten by one of their dogs."

Staffer Moenah O’Shea said a few weeks ago a car parked up beside hers with two women who seemed to be living in it.

She noticed a large, muscular dog, similar to a pitbull, hanging around the car, which made her nervous.

"I slowly kept walking to my car and all of a sudden the dog just barked, growled, and then ran straight at me and jumped on me."

As she turned away, a bottle of wine in her bag hit the dog, confusing it and providing enough time for its owner to notice what was happening.

"The two ladies just kept yelling at the dog rather than coming over and escorting their dog away."

She "freaked out" when she saw another dog coming from the front of the car but managed to escape into her vehicle.

During the nearly four years she had been working on Grey St, O’Shea said, she had noticed the homeless people in the area becoming more aggressive.

Customers often told her how unsafe they felt with people sitting in doorways, arguing in the street and causing disturbances.

"We’re trying to rebuild town, and having something like this makes people go to malls instead."

Sheridan said they tried to be empathetic, but when clients felt intimidated, they had to step in.

Stassano Deli store manager Louise Pretorius said one man in particular was causing problems for them.

"He sits or lies on the benches, throwing empty coffee cups that trash our entrances.

"Another homeless lady walks up Grey St every morning and swears at everyone she walks past. When she passes Stassano, she shouts at us while we set up shop in the mornings."

Satori owner Lisa Wilson said there were often homeless people in nearby Masonic Park.

"There’s one table in our little courtyard that we just try not to sit people at."

Wilson said she had to go out every day with buckets of bleach to pour around Masonic Park to eliminate the smell where people had urinated.

"It’s definitely impacted my business just with the time and effort of cleaning up the smell.

"I really feel for those people, because they obviously need help. I’m not pointing the finger … it’s just frustrating."

Wilson said business owners had been advised to contact the council, and the safety team would handle it, which she found helpful.

Downtown Tauranga manager Genevieve Whitson said the organisation worked with the council and police to tackle homelessness-related issues.

She said the council’s City Safety Engagement Team supported CBD businesses with safety and security, and had been doing an "excellent" job of helping address homelessness issues.

"As the city centre continues to transform, Downtown Tauranga will continue to work with key stakeholders to support safety and security for our businesses and visitors to the city centre."

Charitable trust Under the Stars offers free meals for homeless and needy people on Thursdays and Saturdays at Cliff Rd in the city centre.

Strategic partnership and funding manager Ani Stace said she sympathised with the businesses.

Since joining the charity in 2021, she had seen the homelessness situation worsen because of the rising cost of living, with numbers at the meals more than doubling.

She said getting into state housing was "extremely difficult", with long waiting lists and extra hurdles for people with criminal records.

It was important to realise everyone had a story. She had met many people with unresolved trauma and “layers of issues" to be addressed before they could manage being a responsible tenant.

Most people living rough in the CBD were "not equipped to move into housing", Stace said.

"Until that support is offered, then there is absolutely no way that homelessness will improve."

She said organisations helping the homeless were collaborating more than ever, and she commended the council staff connecting people with "wrap-around support".

While some in the homeless population responded well to respectful approaches, other times the "only solution" was involving the police.

Aggressive behaviour often stemmed from drug use, but many felt "rejected and judged" by the community, and this could contribute to their sometimes unwarranted reactions.

Stace encouraged people to avoid making judgments based on stereotypes.

Community Housing Aotearoa policy and practice manager Amanda Kelly said the increase in homelessness in Tauranga was consistent with reports of increasing homelessness nationwide.

"It’s alarming because visible homelessness is only the tip of the iceberg.

"What lies beneath is hidden homelessness … people living in overcrowded situations, couch surfing, people living in sheds or in temporary accommodation."

Kelly said homelessness was spreading beyond city centres into suburbs and regions, with transience on the rise.

"Youth, older people and women are also increasingly affected, with one third of women who experience homelessness identifying as Māori."

The sector welcomed the additional government funding for housing first, transitional housing and outreach services last year.

"More is needed, as well as long-term solutions.

"We know what works – collaboration, culturally grounded responses, and more affordable housing with appropriate support."

Kelly said addressing homelessness required recognising that it was not just about housing, but about health, addiction, trauma, and poverty.

Homelessness-related complaints to the Tauranga City Council’s customer service centre increased by 156.73% between 2021 and 2025.

Complaints hit 706 in 2024/25, and were largely related to welfare concerns, rough sleeping in public spaces and antisocial behaviour around shopfronts.

The council’s 2025 Residents’ Survey found 85% of respondents believed homelessness in Tauranga was an issue in the past 12 months, a sentiment that had “significantly increased” since 2024.

Its regulatory and community services acting general manager, Alex Miller, said recent Census data showed an increase in severe housing deprivation in Tauranga and New Zealand.

Reasons for rising complaints included a bigger homeless population making the issue more visible in public, high-needs individuals drawing numerous complaints, and increased council engagement efforts “bringing to light” previously unreported issues.

The council’s regulatory and compliance services general manager, Sarah Omundsen, said homelessness patterns shifted with the seasons.

"Colder months see more people using covered areas, while summer increases visibility in parks and reserves."

She said encampments existed in several locations across Tauranga, and some individuals chose to avoid emergency accommodation because of previous negative experiences, strict rules, or safety concerns.

"Homelessness is a complex social issue … driven by national housing pressures, mental health and addiction challenges, family violence, and the limited availability of appropriate emergency and long-term housing."

Ministry of Social Development regional commissioner Jacob Davies said MSD supported whānau experiencing housing hardship to help them find somewhere to stay.

"We work alongside agencies including Kāinga Tupu, which leads the collective approach to addressing homelessness across Tauranga, along with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, police and Tauranga council to support a co-ordinated response to housing hardship."

The ministry’s housing register had 660 applicants in Tauranga on the waiting list for public housing in September, which was fewer than in the past few years but about 100 more than in 2020.

The area prevention manager for the Western Bay of Plenty police, Inspector Zane Smith, said homelessness was not a criminal matter, but a complex social issue requiring a multi-agency approach.

Police engaged with various community groups on the issue.

"We continue to monitor behaviour in public spaces across Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty and have put processes in place to increase police visibility."

Smith said police action and enforcement were undertaken when appropriate and when a crime had been committed.

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