The Government’s latest insights report confirms nationwide homelessness is rising – despite ministers continuing to deny reality.
“Ministers boast of ‘real change’ and claim Rotorua is ‘back on the front foot’, yet callouts for rough sleeping there have increased by 130 percent,” Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said.
“Frontline providers have consistently said that homelessness is increasing, with some saying it is the worst they have ever seen because of decisions by the Government.
“It's no surprise homelessness is rising when the Government is failing to deliver on the thousands of homes it promised, building just 266 social houses in two years.
“Emergency housing changes have been so damaging that people discharged from hospital, pregnant women and families fleeing violence are being turned away.
“Chris Bishop’s claim that anyone in genuine need will be helped has been called ‘simply not true’ by the Christchurch Methodist Mission, which has seen demand jump by more than a third this year.
“In Auckland, homelessness has more than doubled and the City Mission has said there is no doubt emergency housing cuts are a direct factor.
“This isn’t just a big-city problem. In Thames, a town of 7,000 people, there were 44 reports of people sleeping rough.
“I don’t understand how Christopher Luxon can sleep at night when he has presided over decisions that have cast families onto the street. There will be many people spending Christmas without a roof over their head because of him and his government,” Kieran McAnulty said.
