New Zealand has the seventh highest number of homeless people per capita, with Australia following close behind at number eight and the United States one place higher at number six. Photo / 123 rf
New Zealand has the seventh highest number of homeless people per capita, with Australia following close behind at number eight and the United States one place higher at number six. Photo / 123 rf
The story of Brett highlights the systems failure that led to him living on the streets of Tauranga.
He’s one of the estimated 2.8% of people in the city – more than 4000 in total – who experience homelessness in some form, according to Tauranga City Council.
Brett, in his 50s, developed necrotising fasciitis – otherwise known as flesh-eating disease, – after helping with the clean up from the devastating Edgecumbe flooding in 2017.
After weeks in hospital, he was discharged with nowhere to go. He lived in shared accommodation, was offered a tent then found refuge in his car until it was impounded, and ended up sleeping rough for years, according to a case study previously shared by the council.
“Homelessness is not a choice,” council community development and emergency management manager Paula Naude told SunLive.
“However, the numbers experiencing homelessness could be higher with people who are homeless but aren’t seeking any external support,” Naude said.
Homelessness is a complex issue defined as a living situation where people have no other options to acquire safe
Rough sleeping, living in cars and tents is often the first image that comes to mind when thinking of homelessness, but the definition also includes:
Night shelters, refuges, hotels/motels, motor campsites, and boarding houses.
Temporarily living in shared accommodation.
Living in uninhabitable housing, such as dilapidated dwellings or those not intended for human habitation, like garages.
“In most cases, homelessness is not something that happens overnight. It is often a culmination of events or factors.”
In 2023, the Tauranga City Council recorded 308 people who identified as homeless, 51% male and 55% Māori.
“Factors like poverty, discrimination, a lack of housing and rising rents sometimes collide with individual circumstances like losing a job, accumulation of debt, illness, or relationship breakdown, which can result in people finding themselves homeless.”
As of June 2023, when the data was last available, there were seven known tent sites and 17 rough sleepers.
Tent sites peaked at 21 in 2021, and the council counted 50 rough sleepers in the same year.
“The number of people impacted by homelessness is likely to be much higher than recorded,” said Naude.
According to a report from the OECD’s Social Policy Division, New Zealand has the seventh highest number of homeless per capita, with Australia close behind at eighth and the United States at six.
“In most cases, homelessness is not something that happens overnight. It is often a culmination of events or factors," said council community development and emergency management manager Paula Naude. Photo / 123 rf
The report said New Zealand has the second-highest number of homeless women per capita, while the United Kingdom took the top spot.
Thursday was the 14th World Homeless Day, which was started to raise awareness and compassion for those experiencing homelessness.
Several service community groups in Tauranga, including churches, marae, community organisations and outreach groups, offer meals, shower facilities and laundry.
“These groups work in a coordinated way so people experiencing homelessness have access to at least one warm, healthy, and hearty meal every day.
“Coming together for a meal helps people connect in a safe space and fosters a feeling of belonging and community,” Naude said.
One such provider, the Kāinga Tupu Taskforce, provides a community-agreed collaborative approach with local government agencies.
“It supports people experiencing homelessness and looks for opportunities to end homelessness in the Western Bay of Plenty sub-region,” Naude said.
The People’s Project in Tauranga works with 103 people, about half looking to find housing and half receiving ongoing support, general manager Kerry Hawkes said.
“Many people we support have experienced a great deal of trauma in their lives and are simply focused on surviving. Some may be in flight or fight mode, needing a safe place to sleep and specialised support.”
Homelessness in Tauranga was an ongoing problem, said Hawkes, and an expensive rental market coupled with a lack of housing supply was one of the main drivers.
“We have not yet met any people experiencing homelessness who truly wanted to live on the street.
“Every one of the people experiencing homelessness we work with wants a home.”
The People’s Project had its tenth anniversary in August 2024, delivering more than 1800 housing outcomes in Tauranga and Hamilton.
“The housing-first approach has been adopted throughout New Zealand with positive impact,” Hawkes said.
The ongoing homelessness crisis requires a comprehensive response that includes housing-first, affordable rentals, emergency housing, transitional housing and social housing, according to Sam Uffindell, MP for Tauranga.
Sam Uffindell, MP for Tauranga. Photo / Alex Cairns
“The new National-led Government has introduced the Going for Housing Growth programme, which aims to address the fundamental causes of a lack of housing supply to lower housing costs for everyone,” Uffindell said.
Uffindell said service providers were doing a good job supporting vulnerable members in Tauranga.
“Locally, [men’s transitional housing service] Takitimu House is doing an awesome job giving shelter to homeless people and providing the wraparound services to help them get their lives back together and lead lives of dignity.
“Budget 2024 invested $83.5 million into support services including Housing Navigators, brokers and the rental readiness programme to help people in need access suitable and sustainable accommodation.”
