May 10, 2018
Ardern invites marae to join homeless response
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says there will be double the number of new beds available for emergency housing compared with last winter, but it may still not be enough.
The Government is looking for long term solutions to the homelessness crisis through its KiwiBuild and state house building programme, but it has also allocated $100 million over four years for emergency housing.
Ms Ardern says she is looking for quick responses as temperatures drop.
"If any social services have really distressed families at their door, tell us. We want to work with the likes of Te Puea Marae. We don't want to wait until we have a dire situation. We want to be right there alongside them helping provide solutions. So if marae have space, water and power and space, and they want to talk about relocateables and preparation, tell us. That is the kind of work we need to do to get in front of this," she says.
Ms Ardern says next week's Budget will be about reinvestment, as the Government picks up on nine years of underspending on health, housing, education and social services.
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