A woman on the verge of giving birth is at a Masterton refuge, prompting urgent calls from staff for authorities to provide accommodation help.
The Wairarapa Times-Age has reported that the woman was facing charges of shoplifting, trespass and a driving offence.
The Ministry of Social Development’s central regional commissioner, Darlene Rastrick, said in a statement: “We have worked closely with this person over a long period of time and encourage her [to] stay in touch with us. No final decision has been made in this case.”
Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka said he couldn’t comment on the case as he wasn’t “across the details” and the matter was “operational.”
But he said “none of us want to see, especially young people, people with some very serious complex issues in front of them, actually living rough and sleeping in cars and tents. “I don’t want to see that. No one wants to see that.”
He added: “That’s why we’ve got different measures and the government on behalf of taxpayers invest hundreds of millions of dollars a year to help people in such situations.
“Whether or not that’s transitional or rapid rehousing, or the range of other matters and don’t forget emergency housing as a large result.”
1News visited the Kim’s Way Night Refuge, where the woman has been residing along with seven other rough sleepers.
The refuge said it was working hard to get as many homeless people off the streets as it could but, despite requests, had been unable to get government support.
Co-founder Stella Lennox said: “We are funded by local grant funding providers and the kindness of our wonderful community here in Masterton.”
She acknowledged there were challenges for people to get into emergency housing.
“There’s obviously reasons why these people can’t get emergency housing, and I can only… see that it’s going to get worse and we will be at full capacity for as long as we are – until something changes within that.”
Lennox said she wanted to have a conversation with Minister Potaka.
“He needs to see this, to understand the concept, to understand that it’s working, and to understand that actually, as I said before, if we had more of these places around New Zealand. I’m not saying it’s going to solve all the issues, but it’s the first step.”
Kim’s Way refuge manager Joe Stewart said support was being provided to the pregnant woman
“With that woman’s permission, I have been trying to find her some more stable accommodation.
“I feel that we are trying and we support her here but I think she just needs that bit more support in her own home and we are trying our hardest to try and find her some accommodation.”
Stewart said he would like the Government to step up “as she’s due any day now”.
Lennox said those at the refuge were well cared for.
“What happens is, we unlock our doors at six o’clock. They come in for a hot meal, we have a lounge here that they can come and watch on TV, they can have a hot shower, we do provide a washing machine for them if they want to, wash their clothes and we provide them toothpaste, toothbrushes, like toiletries. We provide them absolutely everything.”
Labour criticises Govt over case
Labour Party housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty raised the case of the pregnant woman in the house with the Government yesterday. Today, he said the situation reflected problems with emergency housing access across the country.
“Kim’s Way are taking in all these people that the Government should be helping is a sample of what’s happening in every community in the country,” he said.
“The fact is, the Government is keeping people out of emergency housing – homelessness has gone up at unprecedented levels and the people that are there to help are not getting government support.”
He said Potaka’s comments didn’t hold up.
“There is absolutely no excuse for anyone that is pregnant to be denied emergency housing. What the Government has essentially done is cast this woman onto the street that is outrageous,” McAnulty said.
“We’ve raised it to the minister and, instead of being belligerent and blaming others and pointing fingers and making distractions, he should take it seriously and just find a solution.”
Potaka said asking people whether they were pregnant wasn’t appropriate.
“If the question is helping a woman who are pregnant and other things, MSD does not ask people if they’re pregnant or not as part of the assessment criteria and I think it would be highly reckless and offensive to do that.
“What they do is they consider individual circumstances and again that specific matter that’s being reported on at the moment over and righted up is being handled and managed down at the MSD level, at the operational level.”
He said there was support available for the pregnant woman.
“Our focus is making sure we’ve got the tools and the levers in place to help people in genuine need and, if the reports are accurate, it sounds like this woman has some very serious housing need in front of her.”
MSD’s central region commissioner Rastrick said: “Most people who apply for emergency housing receive some form of housing support, even if they are not eligible for emergency housing itself.
“We continue to approve applications for emergency housing, and we provide alternative support to most people who are not eligible for emergency housing.”
The MSD official said emergency housing was not always the first option.
“If someone asks for housing assistance, our first move is to look at all their options to avoid homelessness. Emergency housing is a last resort,” she said.
“People need to exhaust all other options before they are eligible for emergency housing, including staying with family or friends, viewing private rentals and applying for them, or accepting other supports MSD is able to offer.”
