Desperate need at Xmas
Living in a portable cabin with no power, no running water or a toilet.
That's the Christmas reality for some clients who have sought help from Waihi Budget Advice.
One man was spending $36 a fortnight on candles while others were still living at the beach in vehicles.
Manager Margaret Elsworth says accommodation is the biggest need, and the rental prices are “ridiculous”.
“In Waihi, some people are paying $400 to $500 a week, and that is pathetic. We also have singletons who are boarding for $200 a week and only have $15 to live on, so it's impossible to make that work in a budget.”
“It's heartbreaking.” Christmas could be a “s***time of the year” for some of Budget Advice's clients, and many would fall deeper into debt, she says.
The service had about 260 clients on its books and would be swamped in January with people who had skipped their rent and missed automatic payments.
Work and Income paid out a lot of benefits early over Christmas and New Year which could be a big temptation, she says.
“It is just human nature and ‘why the hell can't I have a good Christmas attitude'.”
Margaret, who has worked for Budget Advice for 18 years, says the issues clients are grappling with are more complicated than just learning to be financially savvy.
“Some of our clients are in absolute distress, and a lot have mental health issues, so the money situation doesn't make it any better.”
“It's sad, and we are expected to leave it at the door at night. But it is hard being an adviser especially when there are children involved because we are all mothers.”
To make people who sought help feel at ease Margaret says her staff dressed casually and there was only one piece of Christmas tinsel in the window.
“We don't want to advertise Christmas in all its glory as it's not a happy time of the year for some people. We also dress very casually, and we don't drip with jewellery or anything because we don't want to do that in front of the clients.”
‘ Some of our clients are in absolute distress, and a lot have mental health issues, so the money situation doesn’t make it any better.’ MARGARET ELSWORTH
“We also don't have elaborate stuff anywhere as I just think it's demeaning and disrespectful to them.”
Budget adviser Annette says the benefit did not match the cost of living.
The widow of four schoolage children says she had just finished “a big cry”, as one client could not afford to buy her son a birthday present.
Annette responded by gifting him a Lego set she had bought one of her own kids for Christmas.
“I can get another one, so I gave it to her, and we just sat here and had a cry.”
It was sad also knowing Christmas would just be another day for some families.
“They have no Christmas tree, no decorations and no presents. There is nothing — it's just another day.”
The budget service often referred people most in need to St Vincent de Paul and this year it had requested more Christmas hampers from them and the Salvation Army than ever before.
Meanwhile, loan sharks and payday loans and after-pay lay buys that allowed people to order online and pay it off in four instalments with no interest charged was having an impact.
“It's appealing to our clients because it is a $6 delivery and you can't get to Tauranga or Hamilton for $6. I have a client who came in a
couple of weeks ago.She has an after-pay and her kids needed summer clothes, and it was the only way she could get them.”
Work and Income had green cards for food and clothing, but they could not be used online.
The budget service advocated savings as little as $5 a week for Christmas, but Annette says, unfortunately, that is too much for some clients.
Waihi Salvation Army Major Wendy Sanson says some people are “absolutely struggling in Waihi when it comes to paying rent and securing accommodation.
“In our worst 24 hours this year, we had a couple living in a car, another couple in a car who had sent their children to live with family out of the district and a single person living rough.”
She also knew of people who were paying rent to live in garages, “and some of them are really sub-par”.
“It’s actually mind-boggling. This is Waihi, and we have people living in garages and in shipping containers.
“It’s not right.” Figures show the number of food parcels the Salvation Army had handed out in 2018 had jumped.
From November 23, 2016 to November 23, 2017, it gave away 165 food parcels for the needy compared to 197 over the same timeframes to November 23 this year which did not include 55 Christmas hampers.
St Vincent de Paul Stella Maris Conference president Des Reddick says the rents in Waihi “have gone crazy”.
Couples were opting to share houses to pay the rent, he says. Meanwhile it had noticed a significant increase in solo mums escaping domestic violence who needed help.
Des led a group of 17 core volunteers who collected donations of furniture, food, firewood and clothing for the poor.
“For example, last night I got the call at 5.30pm from an agency to help furnish a house, and by 9.30am this morning it was fully furnished. That goes on all the time, and it is the third full household we have done in six months thanks to donations.” “The need is still there.” The group had also prepared 50 Christmas food hampers.
Jan Smeaton from the Waihi Community Resource Centre says the service found it increasingly difficult to assist clients with housing needs and generally can only support them to check out camping grounds and backpackers and then send them on to Work and Income.
“We have certainly had clients on our books who are living in cabins, sometimes on private property, but where cooking and bathroom facilities are shared with many people and also clients who are staying in cars.
“There are other families sharing houses and families with more than four to six children who are living in twobedroom accommodation.”
Ministry of Social Development regional commissioner Te Rehia Papesch says the Ministry would encourage anyone who is struggling with everyday basics to talk to them.
“We can work through what help we may be able to provide, whether that be hardship assistance, a referral to budgeting/financial capability services or linking them with a local provider in Waihi to help further. What support people may be able to get and how much we can do depends on their circumstances. We have a range of assistance available to help with accommodation costs, childcare assistance and more.”
With Christmas and the holidays approaching “we understand financial pressures can increase”.
“We let our clients know more than a month in advance, as well as doing regular reminders in the build-up to Christmas, about any changes to their upcoming payment days. Our Waihi service centre will be open and operating as normal over the holiday period, with the exception of the public holidays.”
“The payment cards we give clients aren't debit cards, so can't be used for online shopping.”
This newspaper reported demand for rental properties outstripped demand and rents had climbed while there was no transitional housing. A Housing NZ spokesperson said it had 61 houses in Waihi and none at Waihi Beach.