1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: Interesting numbers around emergency housing in Auckland. More applications are 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: being declined than granted. So it's the settings that basically 3 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: deny support if the need is self inflicted. So nine 4 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty one applications have been turned down this 5 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: between August of twenty four and May of twenty five. 6 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: Bernie Smith, social housing commentator of course, is back. Well, 7 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: this's Bernie. Very good morning to you. 8 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 2: Morning mine. 9 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: So what we're dealing with here is, I think Tama 10 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: Potucker would argue, is basic personal responsibility. What specifically do 11 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: you know? Does that mean. 12 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 2: A very good question. I think personally, if you're living 13 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 2: with drug addiction or abuse, living without housing, all those 14 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 2: sorts of circumstances, you're living in crises. So personal responsibilities 15 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 2: gets very hard to put into action when you're living 16 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 2: by our. 17 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: Well, the application stats, I didn't realize that it got 18 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: so bad, but twenty seventeen it was between two and 19 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: four thousand a month. It then went in twenty nineteen 20 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,639 Speaker 1: to nine thousand to ten thousand, and COVID was fifteen 21 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:08,119 Speaker 1: thousand a month. I mean, you can't have that many 22 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: people to play. How come so many people are in 23 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:10,479 Speaker 1: so much trouble. 24 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 2: I think things have worsened economically as well, the slow 25 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:25,919 Speaker 2: down in the build program for housing. Budgets are just stretched, 26 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 2: and agencies providing social services have been swamped with families 27 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 2: and needs. So everything's just escalating beyond becoming very difficult 28 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 2: to actually make a difference. 29 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: When Po Tarker talks about young people care as and 30 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: parents as opposed to motel rooms, is he being realistic? 31 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: I mean, the kids needing help, they would argue because 32 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: there's no relationship with the parents or the caregiver. I'm assuming. 33 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a difficult one, Mike. I think you know 34 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 2: when the government bought this policy in years ago for 35 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 2: sixteen year olds to fund them to find some support 36 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 2: or housing and get some food in their bellies for 37 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 2: kids that have been ostracized from their families, that was 38 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 2: a good policy. But the problem is with a lot 39 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 2: of young people, they're just telling their parents where to go, 40 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 2: and they don't like the rules, so they reliant on 41 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 2: the government to back them up. And the difficulty is 42 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 2: that it was never set up to do that. It 43 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 2: was to support the most vulnerable and those that have 44 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 2: been ostracized. 45 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, is it going to be like if this works, 46 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: is it going to be like the job seeker light system. So, 47 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: in other words, when you're toughen it up a bit 48 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: and say there's a few basic responsibilities you're in charge of, 49 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: stop looking to the government for everything, at least a 50 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: percentage of people will get their act together. 51 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 2: Oh for sure, I think you know. There will be 52 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 2: those that will sort themselves out and get advocates to 53 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 2: advocated on their behalf to get the entitlements they are 54 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 2: entitled to. But there'll be the hardcore that doesn't matter 55 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 2: what you do, how you do it, when you do it, 56 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 2: there's no resolving the issues for them. 57 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 1: Or as a pleasure. Bernie go Well Bernie Smith, social 58 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: housing commentator, with us this morning. For more from the 59 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks it'd be 60 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.