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Manurewa community organisations have organised a sleepover this weekend to call attention to the number of homeless whanau.
Manurewa Marae chair Rangi Mclean says little has changed for those he calls freedom sleepers since last winter's sleepovers, with homelessness remaining stubbornly high in South Auckland.
He says the marae considered opening up again, but the Ministry for Social Development, which is paying millions of dollars every month to motel owners for short term emergency accommodation, offered less money in support than it paid last year.
Instead the marae is working with the Manurewa Methodist Church, the local board and community activists as well as talking with those sleeping in cars.
"They wanted to put it out there they are human beings and whanau just like the rest of the community and they wanted the community to get to know them sop we organised a sleepover so the community can get to feel what it is like sleeping under the stars," Mr McLean says.
The sleepover is at the carpark of the Methodist Church on the corner of Great South Rd and Alfriston Rd on Saturday night.
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