kiaKAHA 

Why is this needed in Auckland?

The 400-500 rough sleepers within a 3km radius of the Sky Tower are just a small percentage of the number in the Greater Auckland area that sleep rough in the outlying suburbs, in parks, under overpasses, bridges or eaves, in cars, and in insecure, over-crowded houses and garages.

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Here are just a few of the challenges the homeless in Auckland face:

• they are often "moved on" during the day and night, trespassed from areas where they are sheltering, sleeping or begging, but have nowhere to go​.

• temporary accommodation costs anywhere from $125-275 per night, money that could instead be used for mortgage payments on homes, or invested in more supportive environments with wrap-around services.

• a lot of emergency accommodation is sub-par, and has no oversight, care, or support for the residents, many whom are "triggered' by being amongst others with life-controlling issues.

• homeless people lose their emergency accommodation if they don't book and turn up for an appointment at MSD every week, though most have no phone,  transport, access to internet, and have diminished mental faculties from what they have experienced.

• to be eligible for emergency accommodation you must be on the Housing Register, which requires being on the Benefit. To get the benefit you have to have a postal address, which they do not have, and a Drivers License, Passport or Birth Certificate issued at least two years ago - which is often impossible as all their ID and belongings are usually stolen in their first few days on the street.

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