In the bitter cold of New Plymouth, homelessness advocate Lani Hunt is calling for urgent action as rough sleeping spirals out of control.
Once homeless himself, Hunt now feeds and shelters the growing number of whānau on the streets, including a kuia and her mokopuna he found sleeping in a carpark.
“My heart just dropped,” he says. “What is happening to our community? Why are our marae closed? Why are our homes empty?”
Homelessness in Taranaki has soared 250 percent in just six months. Freedom camping spots are becoming makeshift homes for working parents and their tamariki.
Lani’s call is clear: “We need to open our doors, stand together, and stop pretending this crisis doesn’t exist. Our people are freezing. The time for kōrero is over. The time for action is now.”
