The growing issue of homelessness has seen families forced to sleep in cars or take out huge loans for emergency housing.
Then there are the cases of work and income paying massive money for private accommodation like motels where things can turn chaotic.
This video was made in December 2016.
A group of Auckland families are facing a bleak Christmas in cramped motel rooms that are costing taxpayers thousands of dollars each week.
The Herald visited a motel in South Auckland today where several tenants have been housed under the Ministry of Social Development's emergency accommodation scheme.
Hazel Waipouri and her two granddaughters have been living in a single-bedroom unit at the motel, which the Herald has agreed not to identify, for four months.
Stains on the wall above the bed at Cameron Mcgeehan's $800-a-week South Auckland motel room. Photo / NZ Herald Focus
She said the room was costing taxpayers more than $1000 a week.
"It's terrible, traumatic, bad. We're stuffed in one room, we're all getting sick," Waipouri said.
Despite the cramped conditions, Waipouri said she had no complaints about the motel's management.
"What really stresses us the most is what MSD wants us to do for them. They tell us to go look at houses, [but] we don't have vehicles, we've been declined [by landlords]."
She said it was especially distressing in the week leading up to Christmas, and all she wanted was a house.
Joyleen Taihia, her partner and four children have been living in a two-bedroom motel unit for 11 weeks, at a cost of more than $2000 a week.
"It's pretty much clocking up, it's to that point when you go in [to MSD] you're not sure if they're going to pay for the roof over your head."
Taihia and her family were on MSD's waiting list for social housing and had been told they should be getting a house, but were still waiting.
"Our children deserve more than we can give them. We feel like we are being neglected from MSD but they don't see it that way."
Taihia, who battles depression and anxiety and has a child with special needs, said it was hard to keep going at times.
"There's days when I am drained out," she said. "I feel like no one is hearing us. Who do we turn to?"
Joyleen Taihia and Hazel Waipouri will be spending Christmas in a South Auckland motel room. Photo / NZ Herald Focus
Sickness beneficiary Cameron McGehan said his spartan one-bedroom motel unit cost $800 a week.
It features a single bed with a stain above it; a basic kitchen with a fridge, microwave and kettle; and bathroom and toilet facilities shared with five other units.
"It's gross," he said. "How this has been done is a joke. This is a huge waste of taxpayer money.
"For $800 a week I could be anywhere. I could be living in the Metropolis building."
MSD associate deputy chief executive of social housing Kay Read said the ministry's goal was to support people into long-term, sustainable housing.
"However, support is available to help people who need temporary accommodation while we look at longer-term options."
Read said the ministry was focused on increasing the supply of emergency and social housing.
In its purchasing strategy, released last week, MSD signalled it would be working to secure another 3800 social housing places within four years, almost half of which would be one-bedroom places.
"We've also got a further 2600 places contracted or close to it. That's more than 6400 new places for people and families in need."
Read said the ministry was continuing to ensure emergency housing was available, and had recently called for providers to meet that demand.
"Nationally we're looking to secure another 1400 emergency housing places for people in urgent need, with 600 of these places in Auckland," she said.
"The extra places will be delivered in a range of ways. They may come from using vacant Crown properties, leasing and purchasing properties such as motels, and in areas of high demand such as Auckland, building new places."
Read said the goals were ambitious but the ministry was focused on delivering.
"With both short-term and longer-term policies in play we're in a good place to make sure we can help those families most in need."
