The number of households living in emergency housing has been reduced by a third in the last six months, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says.
He described emergency housing as “one of the biggest public policy failures we’ve ever seen in New Zealand”, saying the situation evolved from “a few” families using the system for brief periods to children growing up in motels.
“From last December to June this year, the total number of households living in emergency housing has gone from 3141 to 2133 – a 32% reduction in just six months. We have seen over 1000 tamariki depart emergency housing during this period.
“Auckland has experienced one of the biggest improvements with numbers falling from 624 to 354 households in the three months to June. In Canterbury, it’s fallen from 285 to 183 households over the same period.”