Community Connectors - Budget 2023

Providing targeted support to help people connect with the services they need - Wellbeing Budget 2023.

This initiative supports Community Connectors to help individuals and whānau to access the support they need.

The Government is investing $41.702 million over two years (2023/24 to 2024/25) to support community and whānau resilience through Community Connectors.

This initiative will fund approximately 100 Community Connectors for two years to provide short-term support to individuals and whānau to prevent and reduce the impacts of hardship. Connectors support and advocate for those they work with, helping people access a range of services including welfare and food support, social and mental health services, and employment.

• Community Connectors are employed by social sector providers and non-government organisations, such as churches, marae, and local community groups, to provide short-term support to individuals and whānau (including children and young people) to prevent and reduce the impacts of hardship.
• Community Connectors have been critical to the COVID-19 pandemic response since they were set up in June 2020. They help ensure that New Zealanders who are not accessing government supports and services receive early engagement and holistic and culturally anchored support in a trusted setting. Community Connectors identify opportunities for early intervention, helping reduce the prevalence of persistent disadvantage.
• The Community Connectors allocation prioritises providers in Māori, Pacific and ethnic communities and considers where the need for community support is greatest.
• Community Connectors are part of the Social Sector Commissioning approach, which involves changing from a system guided by responding to people’s needs with pre-determined services, to one that is guided by the purpose of supporting individuals and whānau to live a life they value.
• Budget 2023 funding will allow 100 Community Connectors (of the existing 500 Community Connectors) to be retained after June 2023. These Community Connectors will support approximately 50,000 households per annum for two years.
• This funding is alongside an additional 65 Community Connectors, who are being retained for one year in regions impacted by the January 2023 floods and Cyclone Gabrielle.