May 17, 2019
Māori swell ranks of homeless
The Auckland City Missioner says the homelessness seen in the city is a symptom of poverty and inequity that is hitting Māori hard.
Analysis of last September’s homeless count in the city shows that in a city that is 11 percent Māori, 43 percent of the 800 sleeping rough and 40 percent of the 2800 people in temporary accommodation were Māori.
Chris Farrelly says that’s why initiatives like Housing First must have a special focus on Māori as the predominant group affected.
He says the release this week of the Kainga Strategic Action Plan points the way ahead but also shows the size of the problem when 57 percent of Māori are living in rental accommodation.
"So home ownership is an incredibly important issue here, how do we enable Māori to get into home ownership. Then we have to have affordable rents, then as is happening the abolition of loan sharks, a whole series of things have to happen if we are going to follow through on these plans," Mr Farrelly says.
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