‘Hidden homeless’ on waitlist

The public housing waitlist has continued its steady march upwards, with 11,145 eligible households waiting for state or social housing as at the end of January.

That was up from 10,712 at the end of 2018 and is 80 per cent higher than the figure at the end of 2017.

The January waitlist figures, released to Stuff under the Official Information Act, show the problem is not getting better.

The most recent quarterly report on public housing had the median wait time at 98 days – up from 58 a year prior.

Housing Minister Phil Twyford said a large number of the ‘‘hidden homeless’’ were coming forward and the waitlist could well swell further.

‘‘In 2016, Otago University estimated there were 42,000 New Zealanders living in ‘severe housing stress’. The rapid rise in the waiting list for a state house is some of these people coming forward for help under a government that has acknowledged there’s a housing crisis and is prepared to help,’’ Twyford said.

‘‘Unfortunately the waiting list could rise further as more of these hidden homeless come forward. Our Government is doing all it can to build our way out of the housing crisis.’’

The Government has built 1100 new state houses since coming to office and 768 new transitional housing places. It has promised 6400 new state and social homes over the four years from Budget 2018.

National Party housing spokeswoman Judith Collins said higher rents were to blame and blamed Twyford for those.