A recent 1News Verian poll found 46% of New Zealanders thought the issue of homelessness was getting worse, 39% said it was staying the same while 10% said it was improving.
The latest 1News Varian Poll asked 1000 eligible voters whether they “believe the issue of homelessness is improving, worsening, or staying about the same in your community?”
Five hundred were polled via mobile phone and another 500 had been polled online, using online panels. There is a 3.1% margin of error.
Christchurch City Mission used to get 25 new clients looking for a house each month, but in January there were almost 60 people.
“We need housing, mainly for single men, but we actually had an experience during the last month where there was a family with a baby in Hagley Park in a tent,” said Missioner Corinne Haines.
Along with accommodation, Haine said many who turn up need social support too.
“These people have not had good lives up to now because they’ve got mental health issues, they’ve probably had drug dependency, they’ve probably come from families that are perhaps not quite so functional and so what we try to do is give those wraparound services and perhaps give them some of those skills that they haven’t got in life up to now.”
Last week the Government changed its approach to social housing, promising to sell off what isn’t fit for purpose and build cheaper, more targeted homes.
There are 20,000 people on the waitlist currently, but the Social Development Minister was confident the approach that’s been taken will help them in the long term.
“The work that’s happening with MSD and providers who are working with homeless people on the ground is really important (and) they’re continuing to do that but one of the things I’m enormously proud of is the 1900 fewer children that are in motels today,” said Louise Upston.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said since the Government was elected, rents have remained stable, and the social housing wait list had dropped by at least four thousand people.
Labour’s Housing spokesman Kieran McAnulty said emergency housing should be extended rather than keeping people on the street,
“They are clearly more focused on reducing costs than actually putting people into a home or under a roof, and it’s frankly appalling.”