Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Housing and MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, is calling on the Associate Minister for ‘Homelessness’ Tama Potaka to urgently answer to all whānau and mokopuna left homeless in the wake of regressive changes to emergency housing eligibility.
The consequences of these policy changes have hit our people hard in Te Tai Tokerau. The rise in rough sleeping, homelessness, and mokopuna living in cars is a clear testament to this government’s “tough on poverty” approach.
Over 200 mokopuna in Te Tai Tokerau are sleeping on mouldy mattresses and in overcrowded housing. The health concerns for our mokopuna double by the day.
Meanwhile, the Far North has been experiencing severe cases of homelessness with over 500 people since 2023 living without shelter.
In Whangārei, reports of homelessness have nearly doubled from 680 in 2023 to 1,066 in 2024. These rates are expected to exceed 1,200 this year. This just doesn’t cut it.
With nearly six thousand mokopuna living in poverty in Te Tai Tokerau, this government will only exacerbate these harsh realities for all communities.
“Since the Minister insists on defending these damaging policies, I invite him to travel to Te Tai Tokerau and speak directly to our mokopuna who are forced to sleep in cars, tents, and if they’re lucky, in overcrowded housing” said Kapa-Kingi.
“Let him look those mokopuna in the eyes and tell them their genuine need isn’t enough to live in a home.
“If the Minister is so sure that emergency housing remains available for those in genuine need, why are homelessness and rough sleeping on the rise? Where is his Ministry’s evidence that these increases are not linked to their policy changes?
“Despite empty reassurances from the government, the harsh reality remains, our mokopuna are being raised in the backseat of a car instead of a home” concluded Kapa-Kingi.