Monte Cecilia Housing Trust is one of 40 charities, community groups and unions that have joined together to implore the Government to change legislation to address the country’s gender and ethnic pay gaps. In an open letter to the Prime Minister and Minister for Child Poverty Reduction Jacinda Ardern, Associate Minister for Workplace Relations Priyanca Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Poverty’
Free lunches and benefit boosts, but our kids are still living in poverty
Thursday, June 30th, 2022
When my son was at intermediate school, he would often ask for two or three extra sandwiches. I didn’t think much of it: ‘He’s a hungry, growing boy,’ was probably the first thing that came to mind. But I never said no. It wasn’t until several months and dozens of ham, egg and mayo sandwiches Read more
Women’s probability of being in poverty more than doubles after separation
Thursday, June 16th, 2022
When a heterosexual relationship breaks down, women are at a much higher risk of falling into poverty than men – especially if they have children to care for. Our new research suggests that while a breakup, on average, reduces men’s disposable household income by 5%, on average women’s household income decreases by almost 30%. We Read more
Blistering attack: Struggling families support way off the mark
Monday, May 23rd, 2022
Support for struggling families, our homeless whanau and those living in poverty has not been up to the task for decades says Bernie Smith, CEO of Auckland’s Catholic Monte Cecilia Housing Trust. He is adamant. We might want to blame COVID and the war in Ukraine for our economic woes, he says. But everyone (except Read more
Study finds families locked in poverty
Monday, April 4th, 2022
Families locked in poverty will stay that way despite the 1 April benefit increases, a new study by the Fairer Future Collaboration discovered. Fairer Future Collaboration spokesperson Brooke Pao Stanley, of Auckland Action Against Poverty, says it’s time for the Government to “level up” income support so everyone can live with dignity. Poverty was forcing Read more
Virus pushes 4.7 million Southeast Asian people into extreme poverty
Monday, March 21st, 2022
The Covid-19 virus pushed 4.7 million Southeast Asian people into extreme poverty in 2021. According to the an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report presented at the Southeast Asia Development Symposium, 9.3 million jobs have disappeared. The ADB’s “Southeast Asia Rising from the Pandemic” report says the Omicron variant could make matters worse. It predicts the Read more
‘Making a difference’ – How recycled chip packets are helping Auckland’s vulnerable
Monday, March 14th, 2022An Auckland-based organisation is helping the city’s most vulnerable people in the most unlikely of ways – with empty potato chip packets. The Chip Packet Project (CPPNZ) was founded in September 2021 during lockdown, and was a spin-off of the UK-based organisation, Crisp Packet Project. The organisation collects freshly-washed chip packets, or any foil-wrapped food Read more
Auckland City Mission has new home
Thursday, March 3rd, 2022
Ten years after the Auckland City Mission – Te Tāpui Atawhai – began working on finding a new home, it has finally opened its doors. Called HomeGround, Auckland City Missioner Helen Robinson (pictured at the new facility) says its new one-stop health and social services space for the city’s most vulnerable people realises a long-held Read more
‘Everyone is suffering’: Foodbank founder warns financial hardship will only worsen
Monday, February 14th, 2022Those running the region’s foodbanks warn as the cost of living increases so too will financial hardship and the queues of people looking for assistance. According to Statistics New Zealand, food prices in New Zealand have increased 4.5 per cent in the year ending December 2021, pushed by an increase of 2.6 per cent in Read more
Struggling to survive; those seeking help highest in 100 years
Monday, November 15th, 2021
Aucklanders who rely on benefits say they are just “trying to survive”. Hardship support from Work and Income has amounted to a “pittance”, they say. Advocates for Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP) and beneficiaries using their services say the support offered this year did not match that of the first lockdown. Just surviving is a Read more