Understanding community needs
When the dominoes start to fall: Homelessness in Tauranga
A recent deep dive research project undertaken by Momentum Research on behalf of the Kainga Tupu: Growing Homes Taskforce and the WBOP Homelessness Providers’ Network, resulted in the publication of When the dominoes start to fall: Stories of Homelessness.
The aim of the project was to collect real stories of lived experiences of homelessness in Tauranga and to identify the barriers that we need to overcome in Tauranga to reduce the prevalence of homelessness. People who were experiencing, or had experienced, various states of homelessness were interviewed, resulting in eighteen case studies, told in this book.
At least 4000 residents across Tauranga identified as belonging in one of the four categories of homelessness. This number is realistically significantly higher.
“Most times, homelessness is not a choice, and it is not the fault of the individual…It is usually the cumulative impact of structural factors, systems failures and individual circumstances.”
19 brave souls told their stories and you can read those stories here: When the dominoes start to fall: Stories of Homelessness.
2020 Vital Update - Tauranga
Knowing our community to inform our future
‘Vital Update – Tauranga’ was a research project that focused on the geographic communities in Tauranga: who makes them up, and what their needs, wants and aspirations are for their neighbourhoods and the wider city.
Acorn Foundation, TECT, BayTrust and Tauranga City Council undertook this research so that together we can create a better future for our residents. By identifying which areas and communities need the most help and for what reasons, we can provide the support and resources required to make a difference.
What did we find out? Click here to read more.
Vital Signs 2018
Vital Signs 2018 was officially launched on 20 February. This report is a research tool that is used to understand a community's perceptions of the place where they live. Following on from Acorn’s first Vital Signs report in 2015, the 2018 effort was expanded to cover the wider Bay of Plenty region, with separate reports prepared for the following areas:
- Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty for the Acorn Foundation
- Rotorua and Taupo for the Geyser Community Foundation
- Eastern Bay of Plenty for the Eastern Bay Community Foundation
Why was Vital Signs® chosen for the Acorn Foundation?
The Acorn Foundation is acutely aware of the responsibility entrusted to us by our donors to ensure that our grants are addressing key issues in this community. As Acorn grows, these grants will only get bigger, and we believe it is essential to have some quantifiable research to justify how we make grants in the years ahead. Several years ago, we started to look at what other Community Foundations were doing internationally.
Background of Vital Signs® in Canada
When the Toronto Community Foundation first started Toronto’s Vital Signs Report in 2001, the goal was to help the Foundation understand needs and opportunities in Toronto and to make informed choices about its grant making and programming. Since then, however, Vital Signs has moved steadily from the edge of the Foundation’s work toward its core.
Vital Signs® is now a global programme led by Community Foundations of Canada. More than 85 communities in Canada, New Zealand and around the world are implementing Vital Signs® to ensure greater local impact through the utilisation of community knowledge.
Results of the research - click on the image below for access to the full report
The Acorn Foundation thanks TECT, Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and BayTrust for their invaluable support of the 2018 Vital Signs research project.