A steady increase in people approaching the local Citizens Advice Bureau in desperate need of a roof over their heads has highlighted that more social housing is needed on the Coast.
Hibiscus Coast Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) chair Mary Cavell says volunteers struggle to find anywhere for people in need of emergency housing to stay, and turning people away is heartbreaking.
Recent examples include several women with children, as well as men, who had nowhere to stay.
“One woman came in who had to leave her rented unit to let another family move in. We could only offer her the contact details for a campground in Henderson,” Mary says. “A woman and her son that came to see us needing emergency accommodation had been living in a refuge centre and backpackers. It is distressing not to be able to help people, especially families with children, to put a roof over their heads for the night.”
CAB NZ has just issued a report on clients in need of emergency accommodation nationally and this paints a disturbing picture of people living in extremely precarious, insecure and unhealthy housing situations. Unfortunately the Hibiscus Coast is no exception.
CAB figures show that over the last five years, the local branch has had 164 clients come in seeking emergency accommodation – a number that Mary says is on the rise, while accommodation options have dropped.
“The safe house in Whangaparaoa is often in use. In the past we could go to the Salvation Army or churches but often the people that come to us have already tried those avenues. Sometimes the Hibiscus Coast Community House can find somewhere and if we are lucky we might be able to find people a night or two at a local backpackers, but that doesn’t solve the problem. What we really need is places where people can stay for long enough to get back on their feet and get settled into more permanent housing,” she says.
Mary says that the people who come in looking for help are from all walks of life.
“Anyone can find themselves in a bad situation if they get behind with rent and the landlord throws them out. Rent is not affordable locally – by the time you include the bond and rent in advance you can be looking at $2000 just to get in the door and people don’t have that. And that’s if they can find a suitable rental property to start with.”
The Ministry of Social Development announced last week that more social housing will be provided but the majority of the extra 508 places that will become available over the next one to two years are in the high demand areas of West and South Auckland.
Mary says that the local CAB is taking the report issued by its national body to the Orewa branch of Work and Income and the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board.
“We will be talking to them about how to strengthen the safety net in our community for people who, for whatever reason, have no place to call home and are desperate for emergency accommodation,” she says. “The days of our volunteers having to turn people away with nowhere to go have to end.”
