Homelessness in New Zealand
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2025}}
Homelessness in New Zealand has been linked to the general issue of lack of suitable housing.{{cite web|url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/300038/homelessness-'a-national-problem'|title=Homelessness 'a national problem'|date=28 March 2016 |publisher=Radio NZ}} The homeless population is generally measured through the country's census and by universities and other academic centres. According to the 2023 Census severe housing deprivation estimates released by Stats NZ in December 2024, approximately 112,496 people, or 2.3% of the population, were severely housing deprived. This represented an increase from the 2018 estimate of 99,462 individuals, or 2.1% of the population.{{Cite web |date=4 December 2024 |title=More New Zealanders estimated to be severely housing deprived |url=https://english.news.cn/20241204/34b93e229dbf4244a93e0810e0f40792/c.html |website=Xinhua}}{{Cite web |last=Winton |first=Joseph |date=17 February 2025 |title=Ministry of Housing and Urban Development |url=https://www.hud.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Documents/Proactive-Releases/March-2025/HUD2025-006284-Response_Redacted.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=26 March 2025 |website=hud.govt.nz}}{{Cite web |date=2025-02-21 |title=Worsening unemployment, hunger and homelessness in New Zealand |url=https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/02/21/hyod-f21.html |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=World Socialist Web Site |language=en}}
Definitions and services
Statistical authorities in New Zealand have expanded their definition of homelessness to include "people living in improvised shelters", "people staying in camping grounds/motor camps" and "people sharing accommodation with someone else's household".Busch-Geertsema, Volker. "Defining and measuring homelessness." Homelessness Research in Europe: Festschrift for Bill Edgar and Joe Doherty (2010): 19–39. Services representing the sector include the New Zealand Coalition to End Homelessness (NZCEH).{{cite web|url=http://nzceh.org.nz/|title=Home|publisher=New Zealand Coalition to End Homelessness|access-date=13 September 2016|archive-date=3 April 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240403152038/https://www.nzceh.org.nz/|url-status=dead}}
History
The issue is believed to have become increasingly visible in recent years. Media in New Zealand have published an accusatory account of the presence of homeless people in public spaces, positioning homeless men as disruptive threats. Though community members have shown support though writing opinion pieces.Hodgetts, Darrin, Ottilie Stolte, Kerry Chamberlain, Alan Radley, Linda Nikora, Eci Nabalarua, and Shiloh Groot. "A trip to the library: Homelessness and social inclusion." Social & Cultural Geography 9, no. 8 (2008): 933–953.
In late January 2019, the New York Times reported rising housing prices to be a major factor in the increasing homelessness in New Zealand so that "smaller markets like Tauranga, a coastal city on the North Island with a population of 128,000, had seen an influx of people who had left Auckland in search of more affordable housing. Average property values in Tauranga had risen to $497,000 from $304,000 in the last five years, and Demographia now rated it among the 10 least affordable cities in the world — along with famously expensive locales such as Hong Kong, San Francisco, Sydney and Vancouver, British Columbia."{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/world/asia/new-zealand-housing-prices.html|title=New Zealand Vowed 100,000 New Homes to Ease Crunch. So Far It Has Built 47.|newspaper=New York Times|date=31 January 2019 |last1=Graham-Mclay |first1=Charlotte }}
In mid August 2019, the Associate Housing Minister Kris Faafoi and Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced that the Government would be launching a NZ$54 million program to tackle homelessness in New Zealand. This includes investing $31 million over the next four years for 67 intensive case managers and navigators to work with homeless people and a further $16 million for the Sustaining Tenancies Programme. This funding complements the Government's Housing First programme.{{cite news |last1=Jancic |first1=Boris |title=Government announces $54 million to help keep people off the streets |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12259520 |access-date=19 August 2019 |newspaper=New Zealand Herald |date=18 August 2019}}{{cite news |title=Government's new $54m homelessness scheme long overdue, housing official admits |url=https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/governments-new-54m-homelessness-scheme-long-overdue-housing-official-admits |access-date=19 August 2019 |publisher=1News |date=18 August 2019}}
In mid December 2023, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development estimated that 1,500 people out of Dunedin's 135,000 residents were homeless and expressed concerns that the figure could double. The Otago Daily Times reported that the city was facing a shortage of social housing including population growth, a shortage of affordable tenancies and the Dunedin Night Shelter's limited capacity.{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Mary |title=Homelessness' perfect storm |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/homelessness%E2%80%99-perfect-storm |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=14 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220155939/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/homelessness%E2%80%99-perfect-storm |archive-date=20 December 2023}} By mid-May 2024, Dunedin's homelessness problem had led to the emergence of a tent encampment consisting of 11-22 tents in Kensington Oval, a large open sports field.{{cite news |title=Dunedin's homeless and rough sleepers erect growing tent encampment |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018938629/dunedin-s-homeless-and-rough-sleepers-erect-growing-tent-encampment |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=RNZ |date=16 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515230542/https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018938629/dunedin-s-homeless-and-rough-sleepers-erect-growing-tent-encampment |archive-date=15 May 2024|url-status=live}} On 15 May 2024, Mayor of Dunedin Jules Radich proposed turning the Aaron Lodge Holiday Park, which is owned by housing provider Kāinga Ora, into social housing for homeless people.{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Mary |title=Holiday park idea floated for homeless |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/holiday-park-idea-floated-homeless |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=16 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515200005/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/holiday-park-idea-floated-homeless |archive-date=15 May 2024|url-status=live}}
See also
{{Oceania topic|Homelessness in}}{{subject bar|auto=y|d=y|New Zealand}}