‘Motel generation’ fears for children

WELLINGTON: There are fears New Zealand could end up with a ‘‘motel generation’’ as families struggling to afford rents are bumped across emergency accommodation providers.

Latest figures show more than 4000 children are living in emergency accommodation — mainly motels — and more than 1000 of them had lived there for up to a year.

At December 31, 2020, there were 4137 children living in motels, according to the latest figures from the Ministry for Social Development.

Single parents with children made up the secondhighest household group.

Auckland had the biggest numbers, followed by Hastings and Rotorua, but the problem was nationwide.

Barnados Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay service manager JoanElla Ngata said they were seeing lots of children in motels and she feared for the longterm consequences.

‘‘My concern is, with this motelgeneration children, is that they won’t actually have the stability, or know what it’s like to have a solid foundation — somewhere they can call home.’’

She said she recently met a 4yearold boy who had moved seven times.

‘‘Research has proven that when you have stability as a child, that helps you with what trials and tribulations you face as an adult.’’

Those concerns were echoed by assistant Maori commissioner for children Glenis PhilipBarbara.

She said New Zealand was teetering on the brink of a generation raised in motels, and that was not acceptable.

While she applauded the Government’s efforts to combat child poverty, she said it needed to act urgently in dealing with children living in emergency accommodation.

‘‘Once the Government decides that this is an urgent issue, then I have absolute faith that the communities that are at the forefront of designing solutions for these problems will step in and work on these solutions.’’

She said Maori were overrepresented on the housing waiting list and the effects would be felt for generations to come.

With the transtasman bubble about to open, Ms PhilipBarbara feared things could be about to get worse.

‘‘I think the announcement that the travel bubble between New Zealand and Australia is opening up this month raises the spectre or urgency around solving this problem for New Zealand’s children.’’

Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni said in a statement yesterday while a motel room was a better solution for children than sleeping in cars, the Government recognised it was not sustainable and considered it to be an urgent issue.

She said a funding package for families with children in emergency housing had been set up to cover additional costs.

It was specially related to keeping children in education, early childhood centres and for wellbeing needs while major work was under way to increase New Zealand’s housing supply. — RNZ

❛ My concern is, with this motelgeneration children, is that they won’t actually have the stability, or know what it’s like to have a solid foundation — somewhere they can call home