Across ANZ: New Zealand Faces An Ever Growing Housing Crisis

In recent years, poverty, unemployment, and homelessness have all been on the rise in New Zealand. According to a 2023 census, 112,496 people were severely housing deprived, meaning they were homeless, in temporary accommodations, sharing another person’s dwelling, or in uninhabitable housing. This marks a 2.1% increase from data collected in a 2018 census. 

With homelessness growing year after year, the New Zealand government has begun working on better assisting homeless populations and dispelling any misinformation regarding their stance on the issue. The New Zealand Ministry of Social Development (MSD) initially referred to the homelessness crisis as merely a “narrative” in an internal document, however, they have since retracted this statement. In order to further support that the MSD does recognize rising homelessness as a pressing issue, they have implemented the Tactical Plan for Rough Sleepers. “Rough sleeper” has become the term utilized by the MSD to refer to individuals who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless. 

According to a press release from Associate Minister of Housing Tama Potaka, the government is working to identify rough sleepers in Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, and Christchurch. With these plans having been in action for about a year, the MSD has so far been able to identify about 300 individuals in need of housing support, and have taken various actions depending on each individual’s circumstances. Due to the slow pace of action so far, MSD has also stated that actions will be taken to improve efficiency and turnaround time for finding individuals proper housing. 

In order to help recognize rough sleepers and get them the assistance they need, the MSD has recently made the exact requirements needed to be met to qualify for emergency housing. The newly posted requirements state that those who qualify for emergency housing must be citizens or permanent residents through immigration or refugee status. While citizenship or residency is the primary requirement, the MSD also imposes income and savings requirements onto those applying for emergency housing. Individuals who qualify must make less than a certain amount weekly and have assets less than a certain total value, with these amounts changing depending on individual circumstances, such as age or family status. 

Of the homeless individuals in New Zealand, the most prevalent type of homelessness comes from individuals in uninhabitable housing. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development defines uninhabitable housing as housing that lacks one of the six basic amenities, including safe drinking water, electricity, cooking facilities, a kitchen sink, a tub or shower, and a toilet. Homes that lack access to any of these amenities are deemed uninhabitable and residents of such homes are legally considered homeless in New Zealand. Individuals in uninhabitable housing make up over half of the homeless population in the country, with almost 69,000 people living in such conditions according to 2023 census data. 

The New Zealand government has been criticized by many for their inadequate response to the homelessness crisis, with current systems for handling the issue being insufficient, underfunded, and far too slow to make any real improvements. One of the root causes of homelessness in New Zealand lies in a simple shortage of suitable housing and affordable rent. The government has recognized that those who fully lack housing and are living on the streets are those who need the most immediate support, however, actually acting on such claims have been much more difficult. Existing homes have become much too expensive for those living on the streets, and the development of new homes is taking far too long for the rate at which homelessness is climbing in the country. 

On top of slow and underwhelming responses to the homelessness crisis, the New Zealand government has most recently come under fire due to their decision to empower police forces to “move on” homeless people. In a recent amendment to the Summary Offences Act, police officers gained the ability to issue “move on” orders to those disrupting public order by begging, rough sleeping, or merely inhabiting a public place. Many have criticized this decision as a direct attack on homeless populations who are already among the most vulnerable groups in New Zealand society. 

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists has raised concerns that this new amendment will do more harm than good for the people of New Zealand. Criminalizing homelessness and poverty does not combat the issue, as it does not address the root causes of these issues, instead furthering the levels of inequality between these groups and the rest of society. The group cited many international cases and various studies that have proved that law enforcement action against homeless populations has never had the intended effect of decreasing homelessness rates. Additionally, they also call for further public mental health support, as well as more public housing development, which the New Zealand government has not taken significant steps towards achieving. 

The New Zealand government has struggled to find solutions to the homelessness crisis, with many currently implemented solutions proving ineffectual, with the most recent actions of “move on” orders only serving to exacerbate existing issues. Many have called for the government to improve their response to homelessness, however current responses indicate little sign of improvement. MP Kieran McAnulty particularly spoke out against this amendment, proclaiming:

“It doesn’t create a single new bed, it doesn’t provide support, and it doesn’t deliver a permanent roof over someone’s head. It just shifts the problem from the CBD to people’s neighbourhoods” 

The homelessness crisis in New Zealand continues, worsening year over year. This trend is expected to continue so long as no proper solutions are implemented. Without addressing the root causes of this crisis, no improvements will be made and the situation will grow more dire and harder to manage as more New Zealanders fall into homelessness as wages stagnate, rent soars, and available housing continues to decline.