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Download AudioA group of māmā in Tairawhiti have created a group to support those struggling to find housing.
Manaaki Moves spokesperson Deanna Puhipuhi says the trio are drawing on their own experiences of homelessness as they try to help whanau stuck for years in transitional housing or motels.
She says many feel bullied by the bureaucracy, or they don’t know how to advocate for themselves.
The group has some support from state house builder Kainga Ora, but they’re yet to hear from the Ministry of Social Development whose role is to assess eligibility for public housing and help those who qualify to apply for the Public Housing Register.
“They know we know what’s happening and so we’re just trying to merge the two together because it makes no sense in our world, it doesn’t make any sense for our tamariki either that there are two agencies which should be working together and they are showing us all that they’re not and that’s why we’re here because otherwise, we would not have to be doing what we are doing,” Ms Puhipuhi says.
As far as she’s aware there are at least 18 state houses in Gisborne lying empty.
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