“We don’t have homes, so it means our families have to stay in situations that are not safe” – Judy Matai’a, Visionwest Community Trust
Every week, Jeremy Nicholls of Visionwest Community Trust checks in on Aotearoa New Zealand’s most vulnerable whānau.
“Some people are living in garages, some under bridges, some in their cars,” he explains.
As head of the Visionwest outreach programme in West Auckland, Nicholls regularly receives up to 15 referrals a week, each representing an individual or family in desperate need of stable shelter.
According to data from the Salvation Army, over 100,000 people across Aotearoa are currently experiencing severe housing deprivation. This includes those living in cars, severely overcrowded homes, and unsafe environments – marking the highest level ever recorded in the country’s history.
Among them is a 58-year-old woman who has spent the last six months living in her car.
“It’s wet inside the car; it gets all damp and mouldy. I try to clean it off with wipes and scrape the windows from the inside,” she says.
For her, each night is uncomfortable and deeply dehumanising, yet it is an inescapable reality while waiting on an endlessly long public housing list.
Advocates have seen a concerning shift in those seeking emergency help. “We’re seeing more and more elderly people in this state,” says Nicholls.
“It could be the death of a loved one, a family dispute, the loss of a job, or the cancellation of a benefit. Everyone’s story is completely different, but the outcome is terrifyingly similar.”
To support these whānau, outreach team member Claudette Hamilton navigates local neighborhoods in an RV filled with donated essentials. The mobile unit provides immediate aid, offering families a lifeline during hardship until they can regain their footing.
“Sometimes it’s just making that connection with them that somebody cares,” Hamilton says.
“We care about our people, we care about our community, our nation and everyone should be praying for your community, praying for your nation it would be half the battle won.”
However, goodwill alone cannot resolve the systemic shortages. Judy Matai’a, Director of Housing & Pasefika Development at Visionwest Community Trust, stresses that the root problem remains supply.
“The issue that I’m seeing for housing is there’s just not enough of it, not enough in terms of affordable housing and certainly not enough in terms of availability of housing,” Matai’a notes.
“We have a huge crisis in terms of the growing list on our housing register. We don’t have the homes so it means our families have to stay in situations that are not safe.”
Echoing these concerns is Kathleen Tuai-Ta’ufo’ou, CEO of Siaola Vahefonua Tonga Methodist Mission. She acknowledges that support services are stretched thin across the board.
“Groups like ourselves can only do what they can,” says Tuai-Ta’ufo’ou.
“We try and provide holistic support because it’s not just about housing, it’s about high living costs, it’s about petrol prices, it’s about education and uniforms and stationery for the children. It’s so much bigger.”
Siaola works to empower families beyond temporary relief, offering educational, health, and homeownership programmes designed to break the cycle of housing insecurity.
For Miliona Lolohea, that guidance made all the difference. After renting for nearly three decades, Lolohea and his family turned to Siaola for help.
“My wife, six kids, and I were crammed into a three-bedroom house,” Lolohea recalls.
“Life was hard. But it’s better now; we feel we have more room as it’s more spacious here.”
Manavahē Ata, Financial Wellbeing Lead at Siaola, highlights home ownership as a fundamental pillar of long-term well-being.
“The hope for our families is that, in order for our kids to be healthy and receive a quality education, it is when they are raised in a home. That is why we focus on owning a home.”
If you or someone you know needs assistance.
Westvision Waka Whakakitenga visionwest.org.nz
Siaola Vahefonua Tonga Methodist Mission siaola.org.nz
