Homelessness: Still a need to help those who can’t help themselves – Editorial

The Government is coming under increasing pressure over homelessness as the situation continues to worsen.

Reports from various housing and social support providers show homelessness spiking, including a 90% increase in homelessness in Auckland, while last month the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development released a report showing the number of people living without shelter had increased at a rate researchers believe is faster than population growth.

There are the numbers, but also the anecdotes. Witness the increase in news coverage of rough sleepers in, for example, Rotorua, where makeshift camps and antisocial behaviour have been reported amid disagreement over the best response.

Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka has denied the Government’s emergency housing rules are contributing to the problem. In particular, saying the rise isn’t related to the rule change that denies emergency housing support to people who have unreasonably contributed to their own housing need.

Housing Minister Chris Bishop likewise told media at the weekend he wouldn’t accept the Government’s rules could be deemed a contributing factor, pointing out last month’s report said it was not possible to determine the extent to which the situation reflected existing trends and broader economic and social contexts or were attributable to policy changes.

Bishop has, however, admitted he is open to changing the Government’s emergency housing policy, even though “I don’t really want to do it”.

It’s understandable that in trying to solve a problem, you’d want to avoid a backwards step. Bishop said he didn’t want to go back to the large-scale use of motels for emergency housing. Many would agree.

As with many social problems, the solution lies in addressing the underlying issues. In this case, as Bishop notes, it’s addressing how people end up sleeping rough, mending the proverbial fence at the top of the cliff.

That’s clearly a long-term goal, but in the meantime, more and more people are doing it tough, at the coldest time of the year.

The extent to which the Government steps in to help those who can’t help themselves will always be a political decision. And the extent to which someone may unreasonably contribute to their own housing need depends on one’s perception of “unreasonably”.

That doesn’t negate the need.

The Government is seeking urgent advice, as it should, but it’s hard to believe there’s a magic bullet just waiting to be found.

Bishop said at the weekend he would be open to considering change to the Government’s criteria, but only if he could be assured it would make a difference.

But as we await a long-term solution to a problem that’s getting worse by the day, revisiting the rules now, whether we can guarantee it’ll be effective or not, is worth a shot, magic bullet or not.

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