1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Finally we got some numbers on homelessness and not that 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: pretty Nearly five thousand kiwis a living across the country. Now, 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: we looked at the census data that's the most recent 4 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: and solidly reliable, a thirty seven percent jump between twenty 5 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: eighteen and twenty twenty three. Auckland has seen a spike. 6 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: Christ Church up Taranaki up a two hundred and fifty 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: fifty percent in just six months. One of the regions 8 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: facing homelessness is Rota do Atania Tapsle's the mayor with 9 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: me now, Hi Tanya, good morning, Good to have you 10 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: on the show. Do you think it's going up in 11 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: your area. 12 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 2: Well, we've actually had targeted intervention to get it down, 13 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 2: but what we have seen is probably there's a lot 14 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 2: of transient people across the country, so you know as 15 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,919 Speaker 2: emergency house, your motile's clothes, or they're not able to 16 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 2: find accommodation. They're starting to go to other regions. And 17 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 2: it's been interesting because we've recently had the local government 18 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 2: conference where I spoke with other mayors who were saying, 19 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 2: hey we get in your homeless or hey they're coming 20 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 2: from Auckland again. So I think it's good that the 21 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,679 Speaker 2: government's looking at a national approach because you know what 22 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 2: blew my mind. At present, over five hundred and fifty 23 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 2: million dollars it's spent annually. 24 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: On this half a billion bucks we're spending on homelessness agencies, 25 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: multiple agencies, transitional housing, housing first, rapid rehousing, other support services. 26 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: Do you think more because this will inevitably be the 27 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,399 Speaker 1: call Tanya, we need more money for more wrap around services. 28 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: Is that going to solve it? 29 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 2: No? I don't. And actually what I really acknowledge Minister 30 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 2: Bishop and also Minister paultucker On is when I looked 31 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 2: at their latest report that's come out, they're really focusing 32 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,320 Speaker 2: on funding what works, so not only about better utilizing 33 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 2: existing programs quote, but also funding what works. And this 34 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 2: is actually really smart because we've seen the significant waste 35 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 2: of money on emergency housing motiles where the motalitas are 36 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 2: the only ones who seding. They're getting really rich millions 37 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 2: of dollars a year, and actually it's bad for the 38 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 2: communities and it's not safe for those in the homes. 39 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 2: So definitely the housing growth program is working. That's why 40 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 2: we've seen a significant reduction in udor Tudor. We almost 41 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 2: finished all of our emergency housing motils by the way, 42 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 2: that's great, but of what we really need to do, 43 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:23,239 Speaker 2: and what the government has been pretty good at, even 44 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 2: on Board, is focusing on how do we stop this 45 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 2: like for good. It's not only about addressing the urgent issue, 46 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 2: but how do we go, Hey, there's a real problem 47 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 2: in our country. How do we stop people being at 48 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 2: risk of homeless and when they do come up on 49 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 2: the systems, how do we assist them appropriately? 50 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: You said that at the start of this interview about 51 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: people coming between Who are these people that go between regions? 52 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 2: So it was quite interesting. In the report as well, 53 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 2: they looked at the demographic breakdowns of those who are 54 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 2: living without shelter, and the median age was actually fifty 55 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 2: five years and often the biggest reason was, and I 56 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 2: think it was a round about sety percent off the 57 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 2: top of my head, was people who have had a 58 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:11,359 Speaker 2: relationship breakdown or a breakup, And honestly, that's what I 59 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 2: was hearing from the people in the motowns as well. 60 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 2: So you know, people are living tough, they're going week 61 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 2: to week and sometimes there is a genuine need for 62 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 2: transitional housing. But what I acknowledge is that there's a 63 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,639 Speaker 2: clear message that we will end the large scale use 64 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 2: of motowns for emergency. 65 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: Howping, that's definitely on the way out town. You thank you, Tonya. 66 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: Tap sword off through a met. 67 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 2: For more from earlier edition with Ryan Bridge. 68 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: Listen live to news talks that'd be from five am weekdays, 69 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.