More people housed but list keeps growing

SOUTHERN public housing waiting lists are continuing to rise as residents feel the sting of low housing stock and increasing rent.

However, 49 more households were housed in the scheme in the Southern region this quarter than in the last, Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford announced this week.

Dunedin’s waiting list was 142 in the most recent report, up from 125 in June.

Invercargill’s grew from 59 to 69 and Queenstown Lakes’ from eight to 10.

Salvation Army Dunedin ministry leader David McKenzie said houses and motels were full and the organisation was getting calls ‘‘every day’’ from people with housing troubles.

‘‘That includes people that you wouldn’t normally expect, that wouldn’t normally have to access a service like ours, but they do because of rent prices.

‘‘One elderly lady was paying a huge proportion of her benefit on rent, but she can’t get anything better unless she goes into really unhealthy housing.’’

Government work had ‘‘taken the edge off hard homelessness’’, he said.

‘‘They are definitely getting people into housing.’’

However, the problem was still as bad as it had been.

Part of the reason for the increased waiting list was probably publicity.

Mr Twyford said the Government was ‘‘pulling out all the stops’’ to house and support people in the face of the ‘‘housing crisis’’.

‘‘We’re seeing more people coming forward for help, which is particularly telling, considering we made 1742 additional public housing, transitional housing and Housing First places across the country available for people in need this winter.

‘‘The continuing demand for public housing and other housing support shows that it’s going to take a concerted effort over many years to end homelessness.’’

In the Southern region there were 1845 households in public housing, with 246 on the wait list.

‘‘This shows the hidden homeless that we warned about at the beginning of the year are continuing to come forward.’’