This article was first published in eMessenger in August 2018.
We are in the heart of winter and for many New Zealanders, being cold and living in a cold house is part of their normal everyday life.
A recent survey undertaken by the Salvation Army found that nearly half of New Zealanders have gone without heating because they cannot afford to heat their homes. This is not just the beneficiaries, it is also working people where their income does not cover the cost of housing, food and heat.
An earlier study by Credit Simple found that over half of New Zealand households cut back on heating their homes in winter due to the cost with 55% of Auckland households going cold to save on power, 52% in Wellington and 59% in Christchurch.
People who told Credit Simple they rationed heating to keep their power bills affordable (%)
The Salvation Army’s survey found that it was common for families to all sleep in one room to share the heat, and that many will use the oven to heat their home. People have to choose between warmth, food or shelter. There is a growing trend of working poor who are in full time employment but struggle to survive.
New Zealanders spend 90% of their time indoors and many of our homes are too cold. This can lead to dampness, mould and respiratory illness. The WHO recommends a minimum indoor temperature of 18°C, but ideally 21°C if babies or elderly live in the house. The average daily indoor temperature for most NZ homes is just 16°C. When house temperatures fall below 16°C the risk of respiratory illness increases and it is estimated that about 1600 people die in New Zealand each winter from respiratory and circulatory problems which in many cases are because of cold housing.
From the Child Poverty Monitor – Housing & child poverty http://www.childpoverty.co.nz/!/#/flow-infographics/crowded-homes-and-child-poverty-2016
Work and Income have a range of special needs grants and additional support to help those in need. The number of grants made for hardship assistance was at an all-time high in June 2018 and the amount of the grants was also at the highest it has ever been. The reason for hardship grants are usually accommodation or food related.
And then there are those who do not even have a home – living rough is relentless in winter. Everyone deserves a warm, secure, safe house to live in. Lifewise and Christchurch Methodist Mission lead the Housing First collaborations in Auckland and Christchurch. Housing First provides permanent houses and on-going support for those who have been long term homeless. Evidence has shown that people need housing first and have access to a decent, safe, reliable place to live before they are able to stabilise, improve their health, reduce harmful behaviours, or increase their income. Housing First programmes have shown significant improvement in housing stability, less necessity for hospital services, less use of public emergency services, less criminal behaviour and improved overall quality of life for people. This is a fundamental shift from requiring people to be sober, or complete a treatment programme before they are eligible for housing.
The wrap around support provided after people are housed not only helps people address their issues but they are also much more likely to be able to maintain their tenancy. These programmes in Christchurch and Auckland have a strong kaupapa Māori approach and train and employs peer support workers.
Methodist Alliance members provide a wide range of housing solutions including, emergency and transitional housing, youth housing, older person housing and culturally specific housing options. There are also many services to support the homeless, like the free shower service provided by Methodist Community Action in Hamilton, and the Merge Community Café which provides a community hub and low cost or free meals through the pay it forward system. The Merge Community Support Team in Auckland has a service that is run by and for people with lived experience of homelessness.
Airedale Property Trust has grown the housing stock with the completion of 20 social houses in the last year that will accommodate 55 people. Airedale has also developed seven houses that allow people with disabilities to stay in a non-institutional facility and close to their support in Beach Haven.
Lifewise’s Big Sleep Out 2017 raised nearly $300,000 to address youth homelessness and increased visibility of the homeless. And our Methodist Alliance members advocate for change in the housing sector, in particular Christchurch Methodist Mission is advocating for a regional housing strategy for Marlborough to address the chronic housing shortage there; and Northcote Takapuna Parish are fostering links between stakeholders and hosting meetings for local people to be more informed about the major housing and town centre redevelopment in Northcote.
“I’ve never been cared for like this before.”
74 year old Housing First whānau member, on realising that support continued once they were housed.
Carol Barron, Methodist Alliance National Coordinator, Carol@MethodistAlliance.org.nz
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