Another senseless death on the streets Auckland

27 March 2014

The New Zealand Coalition to End Homelessness (NZCEH) again calls on government to take action to stop senseless deaths of the nation’s homeless following the death of a homeless man in Auckland.

Corie Haddock, Tangata Tiriti Co-Chair of NZCEH stated “There is a growing crisis in cities all over New Zealand and very little is being done to address it. People are sleeping in abandoned buildings, in cars, in garages in overcrowded homes and a multitude of inappropriate accommodation and the plight of this population is being dismissed by the government. We need programmes and services that will support people into accommodation and provide ongoing support to address the underlying issues that lead them into homelessness in the first place.”

NZCEH Tangata Whenua Co-Chair Dr Shiloh Groot says “Homelessness is never a choice.

Research shows that homelessness is caused by a lack of options for individuals and is often the result of a series of tragic events in people’s lives. There needs to be commitment and leadership from central and local government in partnership with community organisations to develop a strategy. A strategy that will remove the pathways leading to homelessness and eliminate the barriers that keep people there.

Homelessness can be ended with a commitment from all parties.

Ends

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