The council has decided to establishing a multi-agency approach to address the growing number of people living and begging on Christchurch's central city streets.

Police are upping foot patrols and two new social workers will be hired to address rough sleeping after complaints about streeties "aggressively begging" in central Christchurch.

The city council will on Thursday decide if it will help fund an outreach social work service.

A City Mission and council count last September tallied 215 people were sleeping rough in Christchurch.

JOSEPH JOHNSON/STUFF A homeless man counts his change as others enjoy the spend up during Boxing Day sales in Christchurch.

Some central city businesses have taken matters into their own hands to rid rough sleepers from the area. The Ibis hotel on Hereford St had been playing loud music to deter those sleeping in an empty lot next door. The BNZ Centre shopping precinct place "no begging" signs in front of businesses.

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Representatives from the city council, police, Central City Business Association, City Mission, and other social and health agencies plan to work together to address rough sleeping.

STACY SQUIRES/STUFF No begging signs were recently added outside some businesses at the BNZ Centre.

Christchurch police metro area commander superintendent Lane Todd said more officers would work in the central city within the next three to six months to help address the issues.

Police had received anecdotal reports of aggressive begging in the central city and members of the public being accosted at ATMs.

Todd said police wanted to support the homeless and work with other agencies "so we can get them off the street".

AMANDA CROPP/STUFF A rough sleeping spot beside The Piano complex in Christchurch.

"We are encouraging people to contact us if they are feeling threatened or are feeling these people are perhaps overstepping the mark.

"Arrest will be the last resort for us ... but clearly we can't have that behaviour – it's just unacceptable."

A Hereford St dairy worker, who asked to remain anonymous, said business had suffered since people started begging in front of the store.

GEORGE HEARD/STUFF Angelica Seamer is homeless and living in a tent next to the Ibis Hotel on Hereford St.

Beggars were often aggressive with each other outside the store and people crossed the street to avoid them, he said.

Safer Christchurch chairwoman Anne Galloway said no single agency could address the problem.

"It requires a multi-agency, multi-pronged approach because many of those living on the streets have complex needs and are going to require a lot of support in order to be able to deal with their issues and maintain stable accommodation."

Christchurch City Missioner Matthew Mark said the mission planned to have two outreach social workers on the ground in the central city, building relationships with those sleeping rough or begging in the next two weeks.

One of the positions would be funded internally, he said, but the City Mission would be asking the council to help with the second. The cost would cover the wages for an average social worker and the required administration costs.

A number of new rough sleepers appeared to be from out of town, Mark said.

"They are coming to Christchurch in the hope there are employment opportunities and discovering the market here is changing."

A central city streetie, who has been living on the streets for about five months, said he was pessimistic about the new approach.

"They should have done something many years ago ... it's too little too late. If police were to get a van and round up all the streeties and take them out to work sites it would be a lot better."

The increased pressure by police and businesses to move on made it harder to live on the streets, he said. It could be a "vicious place" at times.

"If [police] see you outside the businesses across the street, they'll tell you to move on or they'll get a warrant."

On an average day there would be about 10 streeties sitting on Hereford St outside the Ibis hotel and the BNZ Centre, he said.