May 01, 2023
Home loss blight in growing up survey
Rangatahi Māori, Pacific young people, and families living in material hardship were more likely to live in private rentals or public housing, experience poorer housing conditions, severe housing deprivation and more frequent and involuntary moves.
That’s the latest finding from the Growing Up in New Zealand study, based on information from around 4,500 twelve-year olds in the University of Auckland’s longitudinal study.
Family demographer Kate Prickett says while around three-quarters of 12-year-olds live in a home that their family own, around 7 percent of young people experienced homelessness at some point in the last few years.
About half of young people had moved homes at least once between age 8 and 12, the majority as family circumstances improve but around one in five for involuntary reasons – the most common for those living in a private rental being because landlords were selling the home.
Study investigator Polly Atatoa Carr says having secure and safe housing is known to have a profound impact on the health and wellbeing of young people.
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