Life on the streets of Stortford Lodge: intimidation, arrests and fed up shop owners

Store owners in Hastings West say antisocial and aggressive behavior by a group of homeless people is reaching a tipping point, intimidating customers and locals.

Police were called Thursday to Stortford Lodge, where a A woman, understood to be homeless, received minor injuries in an altercation following a robbery involving a knife.

A 31-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were charged with assault and robbery, and a third was released without charge.

It’s an incident that store owners say they have feared for a while.

FORCED TO THE STREET

One of the men who lives on the street, described by the shop owners as the only “friendly” homeless man, says the shop owners are right: life on the street can get hot.

The man, who did not want to be identified, lives and sleeps in the area alone and has done so since October last year.

He lost his job in 2017 and had some “knocked me down” experiences. After living on $ 20,000 of her savings and incurring a lot of credit card debt, she made the decision to live in her car.

Then even that became unsustainable and he sold the car and started living on the streets to save more money in an attempt to pay off his debt faster.

He makes a profit, but after paying off the debt he has $ 19 a week left, he says.

“It was my choice; I could have paid less debt and kept more money, but my idea is to eliminate this debt as soon as I can.”

The man said he has around $ 30,000 in his KiwiSaver but cannot access it for a living, which he said would help his situation.

Life on the street at Stortford Lodge is not easy – he said he distrusted the homeless people who live with dogs alongside them, and there have been cases where he has also been assaulted.

“You can have a bit of an aggressive attitude here.

“For me, living on the streets, I have to be as compassionate and humble as I can.”

He said that some of the local businesses and people have helped him provide food.

“I am grateful for all that I get, but I have no expectations.”

The man said that by the end of next year, when most of his debt is paid off, he will be able to use his funds to “put himself in a better position” and expected to be off the streets by then.

THIS IS ‘INTOLERABLE’

Store owners say that the friendly tramp is the exception rather than the rule.

A larger group of about five who sleep outside the shops on Heretaunga Street are intimidating customers and using the back of the shops and the lawns of neighboring houses as bathrooms, they said.

It’s a problem that has been going on for about a year, but the last two months have become “intolerable,” says store owner Rene.

Last week he said that there had been three customers in one day complaining and saying that they would not return to his store because of people.

You’ve tried calling the police twice.

The store owner, Marianne, is also concerned about customers leaving, especially after she has dealt with the implications of Covid-19.

“We have to ask people to leave our tables inside and outside about 10 times a day.

“We are all empaths … but we are also empathic with our clients and our own needs, we fight hard to own our own business.”

She feels that the Stortford Lodge shops have become “around the corner … like Auckland at the top of Queen St”.

There have been cases of dogs pooping on the properties of three neighbors and a man vomiting in someone’s front yard, Rene says.

Another concern is that the dogs will become ferocious. “They are going to attack someone soon. I think they are going to attack a child.”

Marianne said seniors who live in the area and use local businesses feel scared.

Both women are afraid to leave the store alone at night and Marianne makes sure that all the young members of her staff arrive at a different location to be picked up and taken to group work.

Marianne says it’s a bigger problem and if people ask them to go ahead, they will just go to another group of stores.

‘AWARE OF PROBLEMS’

Hastings District Council corporate group manager Bruce Allan said the Council is “aware of the problems in this part of the city” and is in regular contact with law enforcement on the matter.

City Assist and community teams are also in regular contact with the homeless in the area.

A police spokeswoman said community officials are actively working with local retailers, business owners and the council to address community concerns about crime in the area.