Auckland-based Kick Back has released its first State of the Street report which it says is an SOS to the government and community at large (file image). Photo: RNZ / Luke McPake
Young people are sleeping on the streets and in cars as a youth homelessness support service says the problem is getting worse.
Auckland-based Kick Back has released its first State of the Street report, which it says is an SOS to the government and community at large.
"And what we've observed is children couch-surfing, sleeping in and out of transitional housing or hostels, moving around constantly," general manager Aaron Hendry said.
The report comes up with hard figures, the first Kick Back has been able to show in a report like this.
Aaron Hendry. Photo: RNZ/ Eva Corlett
It revealed 22 percent of young people were sleeping rough when they first sought support.
Couch-surfers made up 22 percent, 12 percent were sleeping in cars while 27 percent were living in housing classed as unstable, overcrowded or insecure.
The report said 62 percent of young people turning to the organisation for help were under 19 years old.
Sixteen and 17 year olds made up 20 percent, and 17 percent were aged 15 or under.
The latter figure had shocked Hendry.
"It is not something that we expected to see as large as we did," he said.
"We knew that there would be a significant portion there but it was much larger than we'd first anticipated."
He said there were no resources to help children who were sleeping on couches, in cars or in the likes of transitional housing or lodges and hostels.
"And I guess this has also been an outcome, in our view, of the cuts that have happened within the public sector and the community sector is that our feeling is that there has been less capacity within the community to respond at the pace that these children require to ensure their safety and to ensure that they get the support that they need," Hendry said.
"Kick Back is extremely concerned about the growing number of tamariki and rangatahi coming through our front doors ever week," he said.
He said it is a crisis, and one that is growing.
'Expanding support, not shifting the problem' - Housing Minister
Housing Minister Tama Potaka said the report was distressing and reinforced why the government was focused on fixing the system.
"Our approach is expanding support, not shifting the problem.
"We are working closely with Iwi, Housing First providers, mental-health and addiction services, local government and frontline organisations.
"Anything we do must reduce harm, not escalate it, and must ensure people, especially young people, receive the support they need to move into stable, long-term housing," Potaka said.
What Kick Back's report says needs to happen
- Roll back emergency housing reforms and invest in immediate housing solutions
- Implement Duty to Assist Legislation to clarify the states obligation to provide essential support to people at-risk of homelessness
- Implement legislation to prevent young people being transitioned from state care into homelessness
- Review the Youth Services contract and ensure providers are equipped to provide intensive supports to rangatahi on the Youth Payment
- Build more public housing
The figures were based on a sample of 76 young people and the housing situations they were in when first connecting with Kick Back.
- 22 percent were sleeping rough
- 22 percent were couch surfing
- 12 percent were sleeping in a car
- 9 percent were in overcrowded housing
- 8 percent were in emergency housing
- 8 percent were in transitional housing
- 7 percent were in insecure housing
- 3 percent were in a form of temporary accommodation
In another sample of 107 young people, those homeless for 1-2 weeks made up the highest proportion, at 30.2 percent.
Nine point five percent had been homless for 1-2 years, and 9.5 percent for two years or more.
Kick Back's report said the key factors were
- family or relationship breakdown - 19 percent
- lack of social support - 17 percent
- mental health challenges - 12 percent
- other factors like domestic violence, transition from care, housing affordability and substance use or addiction
Almost 60 percent of young people Kick Back had helped were walk-ins / referred themselves, or had been referred by peers.
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