Living in a car for nearly three years: 'I'm really close to giving up'

Friday, 8 March 2019

Sam Allen first started living in a car by choice. She wanted to battle addiction issues and says the move worked.

Now, nearly three years on and in her second car – studying for a career she is passionate about – she wants a home.

'I was in quite a horrendous relationship where I needed to get out of it. Being in my car was really the only place I could go to sort myself out mentally as well. I've pretty much been in my car ever since,' she said.

'It's not been easy but, you know, it's got me by.'

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In March 2017, about 440 people listed 'homelessness' as the main reason for applying for social housing with the Ministry of Social Development, making up 9 per cent of all applicants. In December, that figure had ballooned to 2566, nearly a quarter of the entire register.

About 16 months ago Allen formed a new relationship, and her partner now lives with her in their Honda Odyssey mini-van. The vehicle was kitted out with a bed, gas cooker, pots and other supplies.

'It's pretty much your typical backpacker set-up, you know, when tourists come travelling around the country and all that. The difference is we're not tourists, we're people of this land and New Zealand citizens.'

Staying with family had not been an option. Allen had been 'on my own since I was 11 years old'. She said she did not have contact with family.

The couple were going to move in with her partner's family, but her partner's sister moved home with a young child and the house would have been too crowded.

'The child was more our concern than ourselves and we just let our niece and her mum take that room.'

They moved to Christchurch so both could begin studying and work at making a better life for themselves. Since, they had found rooms in at least two flatting situations, but neither worked out, Allen said.

Both houses were bad environments for Allen's continued addiction recovery, for different reasons.

Then there was trying to find private rentals, which Allen said her past actions had not helped.

'Because I've been homeless for so long I have no references. That's a big part, and the credit check. I have s… credit so, of course, my credit's not going to get me anywhere.'

Allen said she was due to speak with someone at the ministry in the hope of getting on the social housing register, but was unsure if she was eligible.

She was not speaking out about her situation in the hopes someone would take pity, or take her in, though. She wanted people to know what the reality was for a growing number of Kiwis.

In March 2017, 4865 people were on the social housing register. Nine per cent of those, or 440, were applying for housing due to homelessness.

As the number on the waiting list grew, so too did the number of homeless people applying – at a disproportionate rate.

In December, the social housing register had 10,712 applicants. With 2566 of those being homeless, they made up 24 per cent of the overall list – the most common reason behind people's current accommodation being 'inadequate or unsuitable,' according to data from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

Thanks to her partner, Allen would occasionally reflect on the past few years. While she was still living in a car, she gave herself some credit for getting on top of her addiction and creating something positive with her study.

'I keep coming back [and thinking] 'look where you are now to where you were 16 months ago … you weren't making the change then but you are making the change now'.'

But she still struggled with the difficulty of living in a car.

'To be honest I'm really close to giving up. I'm not too sure what to do from here if we don't make it onto that social housing register.'