There’s no provision for homeless people between lockdowns in Victoria. The government provides funds for emergency hotel accommodation during lockdowns – but once the crisis is over, the homeless are out on their own again. It’s back to the streets or unstable housing. Housing providers say the on-again, off-again provisions are frustrating. They can’t always Read more
A new government project is investigating how to locate empty ‘ghost homes’, find their owners, and encourage them to bring them back to being occupied. Stuff can reveal the Government has allocated $500,000 towards testing initiatives that aim to encourage owners to fill their empty properties. The initiatives are being run under an initiative called Read more
Welfare agencies are concerned about the worsening housing crisis, soaring homelessness and inequality. New Zealand’s pandemic-inspired policies have translated into cheaper mortgages, allowing affluent “kiwis” to upsize their homes and build up portfolios of rental investment properties, fuelling a further surge in house prices. “Inequality was always growing, but COVID-19 is the proverbial straw that Read more
When Hine Joseph was 18 years old, she was living on the street and carrying a penknife for protection. Three years later, she is securely housed in a flat managed by VisionWest Community Trust, in West Auckland, and says her biggest goal is finding a regular job and, one day, moving into a place she Read more
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has rejected a plea from 59 organizations to lift the level of welfare payments before Christmas. Trade unions, charities and poverty action groups were among those asking the government to address mass unemployment and poverty. Working through umbrella group ActionStation Aotearoa [New Zealand], the groups published an open letter, saying the Read more
Within minutes of being installed outside a US church, a statue called ‘Jesus the Homeless’ attracted attention and a police call-out. The bronze statue, depicting Jesus Christ as a homeless person lying under a blanket, had only been installed in the Cleveland churchyard for 20 minutes before the police were informed. The church’s pastor Fr Alex Read more
More than 10,000 Anchorage families live in poverty, with a looming risk of homelessness, and hundreds more already stay in temporary shelters, a number expected to rise amid the coronavirus pandemic. With grant funding from Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos, Catholic Social Services expects to make a serious dent in Anchorage’s home crisis as it Read more
Taupo’s St Patrick’s Catholic School Year 7 and 8 students stayed in cardboard boxes last Thursday night and fasted on Friday. Sponsored by friends and family, the students raised $2400 to go towards backpack bedrolls and sleeping bags and washing facilities for the homeless, and also for foodbanks in Taupō and Tūrangi. Read more
Wellington City Mission’s future community hub has received $10 million from the Government. The new building will have a community cafe, a social supermarket and 35 housing units designed to accommodate and care for people experiencing chronic homelessness. Read more
Catholic charities in the UK are warning that that youth homelessness is on the rise. Young people are leading a significant rise in the number of people sleeping rough and facing homelessness in various ways. “If you care about homelessness, youth homelessness should be at the top of your agenda,” the chief executive of the Read more