‘I don’t sign pledges’: Wayne Brown refuses to increase homelessness budget

Thursday, 18 September 2025

Auckland mayoral contenders were asked to commit the council to increasing wages and supporting homeless into affordable housing, but incumbent Wayne Brown said he wouldn’t be picking up the bill for central government.

Eighteen-year-old Koreti Mitai from Otahuhu told a packed crowd in St Matthew-in-the-City that she was working weekends and public holidays to support her family, despite both her parents also having full-time jobs.

Her pay cheque is $173.43 and the opportunity for time-and-a-half is one she can’t afford to pass up.

“I ask myself, when will I start to live? And I realise that I’m not alone. This is the story of helpless workers - students, mothers, fathers - who give everything they can, but still struggle to make ends meet,” she said.

“An extra $5 an hour would mean I get to spend more time with family members and go to university.”

The event was hosted by Te Ohu Whakawhanaunga, a community alliance of 40 organisations including The Salvation Army and Māori Women’s Welfare League.

Incumbent mayor Wayne Brown and candidate Kerrin Leoni were asked to commit the council to paying a living wage, creating an “affordable housing programme” and to increase the homelessness budget from $500,000 to $2 million.

Jolie Leach of Merge Community told them that more people were sleeping in parks and public toilets each night in Auckland as a recession and cost of living crisis continued to bite.

“With every averted glance and dismissive wave, people are fighting for dignity,” she said, asking would-be mayors to “choose compassion over suspicion”.

“When you are living with privilege, equity can feel like oppression … but for many it’s the path to dignity.”

Reverend Prince Devanandan of All Saints Ponsonby told candidates the city centre homeless population had shot up to over 800 people.“We are not lacking 800 properties. We are lacking the will to act.”

Auckland Council already pays a living wage, and Brown agreed to continue that. However, when asked about increasing budgets for homelessness and developing affordable housing he held up a big red “NO”.

“I’m not a person who signs pledges just to get re-elected,” said Brown.

He later added: “Sorry, I’m not going to shove up rates to cover a cost of the Government - they take plenty of tax off us.”

But, Brown said he did “tautoko” the vision was and just trying to be “realistic”. He said the existing budget had come from his own mayoral fund and claimed that his councillors had not supported a council-funded increase.

“Not all those things can be done by the mayor. There are things I can encourage councillors to do but I can’t guarantee it.

“I will commit to keeping the $500,000 and asking the councillors to put in some of their own money,” he said.

Mayoral challenger Kerrin Leoni committed to the lot, saying Aucklanders needed a leader “with the energy and vision to give our city hope”.

“No one wants to live in a place where people are homeless. I will be unstoppable on this issue … everyone has a right to housing,” she said.

However, while holding a green “YES”, she added something of a caveat saying she was committing to “do her best” and “work toward a vision”.

During a speaking slot, Brown took aim at his fellow councillors, some of whom have argued against intensification in the central suburbs, pushing back on legislation requiring them to ‘upzone’ for 2 million additional homes with the aim of making housing more affordable.

“There’s a huge debate going on about that right now. A lot of the councillors are waffling over it but intensification around transport corridors will achieve most of what you’re looking for,” Brown told the crowd.

Asked by The Post after the event whether she supported intensification in the city centre, Leoni said she was “all about affordable housing” yet she also said she wanted to “make 100% sure the infrastructure is in place first”.

It seems that how she will vote on a proposal to zone for townhouses and apartments in the central suburbs will only become apparent when it is cast on September 24.

Brown, meanwhile, said he was a member of the Ōtāhuhu business association, claiming his “life is right amongst the gritty parts of the world”.

He said under his watch police had been brought back into the city centre from Ponsonby, and he had hosted ministers and the police commissioner to tour the CBD.

“You can’t allow politicians to make decisions until they’ve had their nose pushed into the dirt,” he said as he was cut off by a timer bell.

Ballot papers for the local government elections went out to Auckland letterboxes on September 9. Voting closes on October 11.