People living under hedges Naenae housing crisis protesters hear

People living behind hedges and flax bushes in the Lower Hutt suburb of Naenae have told their stories to people protestingagainst the Hutt Valley's "housing crisis".

St David's Reverend Martin Robinson said the sit-in on vacant Housing New Zealand land across from the Anglican church was a success.

Members of the protest camped out on the land for the weekend, shared stories, spoke with passersby, and sang.

Children perch on a building frame at the protest. Photo/Melissa Nightingale

Robinson said they'd heard about people living behind hedges at a nearby park, or under flax bushes and trees, or in garages.

"Folks coming from prison, for instance, they're at the bottom of the options," he said.

"They absolutely struggle to find appropriate accommodation, many of these guys are living pretty rough.

"Folks with less options take more drastic measures."

The church built a couple of units on its own land and has housed some of these men just released from prison.

Robinson estimates close to 400 people joined in the protest over the weekend, while about 40-50 camped on the land.

There had been politicians coming through "wanting to chew the fat", and many passersby had stopped to speak to protesters.

Karis Wilson was one of the children joining in the protest. Photo/Melissa Nightingale

People driving past tooted in support.

Robinson said the whole event had brought some new people into the fold with "some incredible skills".

"I think there's going to be some really interesting things happening," he said.

"I think it's just part of the momentum for change."

Palmerston North social worker Cheri Birch heard about the sit-in on Facebook and came to Lower Hutt to join in.

Fatima Alsaeed holds a sign saying 'Love + house = home.' Photo/Melissa Nightingale

She said the weekend of camping had been a cold one, but it just went to show what people who were living rough had to deal with, as well as other issues around anxiety, insecurity, and difficulty providing for their families.

Birch found the experience "really quite meaningful" and enjoyed coming together with like-minded people.