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Jared Shields
3-26-15
UWRT-1103
Digital Essay
Homelessness in New Zealand
New Zealand is a country often associated with outdoor recreation and
beautiful landscapes. It is located in the Southern Hemisphere off the South
Western shore of Australia and is comprised primarily of two large islands
known simply as the North Island and the South Island. A reputation
involving rugged mountains, grassy meadows, and seaside coves have
become associated with the country through various forms of media
exposure. Aesthetically pleasing qualities such as these have resulted in New
Zealand being utilized in many popular films such as The Lord of the Rings
trilogy. The country is seen primarily by non-citizens as a tourist destination
for its beautiful mountain ranges and pristine shoreline. This perceived
picture of a perfect New Zealand is merely a caricature of a country that
struggles with many of the problems that are prevalent in other countries
around the globe.
Foremost of these issues is the universal struggle of homelessness.
New Zealand is no exception to the phenomenon of impoverished individuals
being unable to afford housing of their own. A reputation of pristine beauty
cannot hide the fact that homelessness continues to be a relevant social
issue that tends to be ignored by those visiting the country. The images of a
beautiful, pristine country without social issues are merely a fantasy of

tourists that are seeking the pleasures of vacation without placing their
enjoyment within the proper cultural context.
The statistics for homelessness in New Zealand illustrate the fact that
action has been taken to decrease the number of homeless individuals, but
governmental action cannot be the sole method of dealing with such a
massive social issue. There is estimated to be 5,510 to 7,405 individuals
living homeless across the country of New Zealand. (New Zealand
Parliament) The total population of New Zealand is estimated to be around
4.4 million individuals (CIA Fact Book). While the number of homeless
compared to the overall population is no ta large percentage, it is suspected
to be underestimated, and still confirms that thousands of New Zealand
citizens are living without permanent residences. Grass roots organizations
must also take action and pick up where governmental polices fall short. The
nonprofit sector comprised primarily of non-governmental organizations
must work hand in hand with the government in order to maximize the
positive impact of reforms and work toward lowering the number of
homeless that are present in New Zealand.
The government of New Zealand has set criteria for defining what it
means to be homeless in order to enact more effective measures in dealing
with the issue. A group sponsored by the government was erected in 2008 to
develop a working, formal definition of what it means to be homeless. (New
Zealand Parliament) There is a four point definition as follows,

1. Without shelter: No shelter or makeshift shelter. Examples

include living on the street and inhabiting improvised dwellings,
such as shacks or cars,
2. Temporary accommodation: Overnight shelter or 24-hour
accommodation in a non-private dwelling not intended for longterm living. These include hostels for the homeless, transitional
supported accommodation for the homeless, and women's
refuges. Also in this category are people staying long-term in
motor camps and boarding houses.
3. Sharing accommodation: Temporary accommodation for people
through sharing someone else's private dwelling. The usual
residents of the dwelling are not considered homeless.
4. Uninhabitable housing: Dilapidated dwellings where people
reside. (New Zealand Parliament)
Homelessness continues to be an issue at the forefront of domestic
policy in New Zealand. There are many factors that are associated with, and
eventually lead to homelessness. Such factors include unaffordable
accommodation, poverty, unemployment, mental health issues, addictions,
traumatic life events, convictions, imprisonment, and insecure pre-existing
accommodations. Certain groups are more commonly identified as homeless
than others. These include children and young adults, ethnic minorities,
members of single parent families, as well as those with less than a high
school education. By identifying which groups of citizens are more at risk for
unemployment, homeless activist groups can better launch strategies that
benefit those most affected.

The homeless rate for New Zealand is estimated to be one in every two
hundred persons. (Radio New Zealand) This is quite substantial considering
the definition of those who are homeless fit into such a broad category. Radio
New Zealand has taken it upon itself to raise awareness of the issue of
homelessness by sponsoring events that publicize and raise funds to
eradicate homelessness. One such event was held in Wellington, the capital
of New Zealand and featured the Mayor participating in sleeping outside to
raise awareness as well as funds that went toward an anti-homeless initiative
sponsored by Radio New Zealand. This is just one example of how nonprofit
organizations can contribute to the cause and raise not only money, but
awareness as well while they are in the process of eradicating homelessness.
The largest concentration of homeless people is in the city of Auckland,
which isolated on the North Island of New Zealand and boasts the largest
population of any city or metropolitan area in the country. The homeless
population of New Zealand primarily lives in urban areas such Auckland, and
New Zealands second largest urban area, Wellington. While Wellington is not
as populous as Auckland, it is the capital of New Zealand and sees many
demonstrations and speeches aimed at lowering the numbers of homeless
people in the country.
Perhaps the single most important tool used to fight homelessness is
the ability to make affordable accommodation readily available. The New
Zealand government is most adept at making changes that affect affordable
housing communities, more so than non-profit organizations that rely on

raising awareness. The most prominent reason for homelessness is the

inability of citizens to find affordable housing that can be supported by those
with low income jobs. Affordable housing can be achieved by various
nonprofit campaigns as well as subsidized government housing. In order for
effective change to take place the government must work together with
organizations such as New Zealand radio in order to put forth their best
combined effort to lower the number of homeless individuals.
Homelessness in New Zealand is a major problem, one that must be
dealt with and consumes many government as well as private resources. The
pristine image of New Zealand to its tourists does not tell the whole story of
a country that continually struggles with many of the problems common in
other countries. As New Zealand continues to battle this problem through a
combination of public and private resources, its visitors must reconcile their
views of a vacation inspired country with the reality of the twenty first
century.

Works Cited
"Homelessness in New Zealand." New Zealand Parliament -. Web. 3
Mar. 2015.
<http://www.parliament.nz/ennz/parlsupport/researchpapers/00PLEcoR
P14021/homelessness-in-new-zealand>.

"Homelessness." Homelessness. Web. 3 Mar. 2015.

<http://www.aucklandcitymission.org.nz/homelessness_site_info.html?
mID=29>.
"New Zealand Information." Central Intelligence Agency. Central
Intelligence Agency. Web. 3 Mar. 2015.
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/nz.html>.
"Resources on New Zealand Homeless." Homelessness. Web. 3 Mar.
2015. <http://www.soupkitchen.org.nz/resources/homelessness/>.
"Homelessness 'can Happen to Anyone'" Radio New Zealand. 10 Oct.
2014. Web. 3 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/256663/homelessness-'canhappen-to-anyone'>.