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The chair of Te Puea Marae says a crisis of overcrowded housing lies under the crisis in homelessness.
Hurimoana Dennis says in the week since the south Auckland marae threw its doors open to the homeless it has become filled to capacity and it is trying to find homes or lodgings for the whanau there so more can access help.
He says in talking to the people the same words keep coming up, eviction, poverty, mamae, embarrassment and overcrowding.
"They’ve been staying with whanau who are already overcrowded, going from overcrowded house to overcrowded house to the point where they get moved out of the overcrowded house and start sleeping in their cars in the driveway in front of the overcrowded house, Before you know it they're in the carparks," Mr Dennis says.
South Auckland Maori wardens are making the rounds of carparks and camping grounds every night, offering food and checking whanau are OK.
FULL INTERVIEW: HURIMOANA DENNIS
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