Salvation Army to the rescue with new transitional housing
Wednesday, 3 August 2022
Demand for transitional housing has led a major provider to open a new site to aid struggling families.
Salvation Army’s new neighbourhood in south Auckland consists of 18 four-bedroom houses.
But regional team leader Chris Limmer says the Government needs to build more state homes to address the issue.
'Our families are coming from places that are overcrowded, maybe they're living in a garage or a motel,” Limmer said.
**READ MORE:
* Tenant demonstration targets 'infamous' Quinovic property management
* Dileepa Fonseka: The meeting that shows why housing is broken and never gets fixed
**
'It's not really anything they've done, they're working, and they're suddenly put in that competitive housing market and can't find somewhere.'
Salvation Army has three transitional housing neighbourhoods across Auckland and Northland consisting of around 130 houses.
Families are advised to stay in the units for 12 weeks to sort out their issues, but Limmer said the average stay across the northern region is 41 weeks.
Limmer said a lack of public housing and the rising cost of living is driving the issue.
'That's probably the average family, a good mother who’s just trying the best for her kids and hasn't got the capital or the work experience to get ahead,” he said.
'Some of it is some poor decision-making, but a lot of it is just the world we're in. $700 to rent a house, how's a mother of three going to be able to survive that?'
Social worker Sue Iripa works at the new development.
She said people often come into their care struggling with problems, and the Salvation Army provides wraparound services.
'The most recent one has been addiction, it's about supporting those families, referring them to appropriate services,” she said.
'It’s also working alongside them, and looking to changing some bad habits. Our programme is about stability, it's about routine.'
Iripa said there is a huge need for the wraparound services transitional housing provides.
'Families who are currently in emergency housing, who are crammed in a small room, who have to split the kids up, one parent in one room, one in another,” she said.
“Coming into our TH homes, it gives them time to breathe, to have that space to think, to think of future goals. I believe that we give them that opportunity.'
She said inflation and rising rents were hurting families.
'It really comes down to affordability, and there's inflation. Covid has hit our families terribly. They've lost their employment, and therefore they’ve been evicted,” she said.
Limmer and Iripa have both observed that recent clients have been served 90-day eviction notices by their landlords.
'They've been in these houses for five, six years, and now they've realised when they’ve tried to access alternative private rentals they can't afford them. In comparison to the $600 they were paying over those years, it's now $800 to $900.'
Iripa said there were a number of factors contributing to the problem.
'Our families have bad credit, therefore they don't fit the criteria of private sector [housing]. Another issue is the affordability of private sector rentals today,” she said.
Iripa said there was never enough money to support families.
Limmer said there is a constant demand for transitional housing and as soon as a new unit is available his team will receive inquiries. Single mums, between the ages of 25 and 35, make up the largest group he sees coming in for help.
“Cost of rent is just huge. Something needs to be done about the cost of living. Cost of living is huge and that puts more strain on families.
“A four-bedroom house in Manukau is going to cost you between $600 and $800. That’s just for the rent, and then you've got to pay for everything else,” Limmer said. “If you're a single mother, life's unsustainable.”
The Government announced on Tuesday it has built 10,037 new state homes since 2017, and created 3802 transitional housing places.
'This Government has rebuilt the state’s ability to grow and provide public housing with the biggest state house building programme since the 1970s,” Housing Minister Megan Woods said.
“We firmly believe the state has a role to in providing a safety net to people who need public housing.'
The Government informed Stuff on Friday it invested $4.9 million into the Salvation Army transitional housing neighbourhood to be delivered over three years.