NZ News

Research shows homeless children overlooked by social housing system

Published

5 months ago

June 8, 2026

An advocacy group is calling for urgent action to house thousands of homeless mothers and their children.

Coalition to End Women’s Homelessness research shows women account for half New Zealand’s homeless population and, of those 57,000, many are still caring for children.

The group did the first data dive on 33,000 children who were in severe housing deprivation at the time of the latest census and found they were missing out on so much more than a stable roof.

Steering committee member Dr Jo Cribb said too many children were without stable shelter.

“No-one had looked into this data, who are the children that are homeless and what are the implications of that for them?”

Their ages were evenly spread from babies to 17-year-olds.

“This is toddlers living without shelter, it’s babies in temporary accommodation, it’s teenagers packed into bedrooms, or in incredibly unhealthy housing or their cars.”

Researchers tracked the 33,000 homeless children and found that, compared to their peers with stable housing, they were less likely to enrol with a general practitioner, less likely to attend pre-school and more likely to be hospitalised with preventable illness.

They also found young people experiencing homelessness were more likely to be of Maori or Pacific descent, and nearly three times more likely to have experienced abuse.

“Someone, somewhere in the system knows that they are without housing, whether it’s the school or through accessing foodbanks,” Dr Cribb said.

“The system knows each of these children and we aren’t responding in a systematic way, we aren’t wrapping the services around them and we’re really letting them down. We’re letting them fall through the cracks in the system.”

A Community Housing Aotearoa report warned homelessness had reached its highest level ever, with a shortage of affordable housing compounding the problem.

The report also highlighted the number of young people experiencing homelessness, with more than half of all people under the age of 24.

Cribb said the latest government Budget showed no plan to reduce child poverty.

“Women’s homelessness has lasting and profound impact on such a large population of children that we can’t leave it invisible like it is,” she said.

“We need a focus on supporting women in housing and keeping their families together. We need a housing policy and housing options that specifically take into account the needs of women and children.”

Auckland City Mission’s transitional housing service for homeless women cares for 16 wāhine at a time.

Hayley Rawhiti is Kai Atarau – co-lead at Te Whare Hīnātore – and said many were solo mothers who felt shame and guilt that their children no longer lived with them.

She recalled one woman worked very hard to conquer addictions and was now re-united with her tamariki in stable housing.

“That was a really long process, and she was just so diligent about going out to see her kids and maintain that connection with them, and working on herself… just doing all the mahi that she needed to do,” Rawhiti said.

“To see her actually succeed and get that housing, and have the kids back in her care was just incredible.”

Rawhiti said the mother had an agonising wait for social housing accommodation with enough bedrooms for her children.

“You need to have the kids in your care to be eligible for a bigger house, but to be eligible to have the kids in your care, you have to have the appropriate housing available for them,” she said.

“It’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation, and that’s definitely been something that we have to negotiate and problem solve.”

Rawhiti would like to see safe social housing prioritised for women and their children.

“Sometimes, through no fault of anyone, they’re not able to have the children in their care and it is extremely traumatising,” Rawhiti said.

Child Poverty Action Group executive officer Lyn Amos said close to 50,000 children had slipped into poverty in the past three years.

“We already pay for child poverty,” she said. “It’s not about putting fiscal restraint on to save money, because the costs are shifted to the hospitals, the emergency housing, mental health services and the justice system.

“That cost is considered to be about $15 billion a year that we are paying, because child poverty exists to the extent that it does in our country.”

Both groups would like to see more invested in preventing child poverty, with better wraparound support for mothers and children in the welfare system.

Amos said child poverty was at crisis level and the impacts were often lifelong.

“Those children in homeless situations are at the absolute sharp end of all the deprivation that they are experiencing, so it’s absolutely shocking.”

Source: RNZ

Latest News

Police say person who fired gun at officers still at large

Published

3 days ago

November 12, 2026

News Staff

Police say a person who fired a gun at officers in Napier is still at large.

Eastern District Commander Superintendent Joel Lamb said Police tried to stop a vehicle in the Pirimai Area at about 10pm on Tuesday.

He said someone in the back seat pointed what was presumed to be a firearm at officers pursuing the vehicle.

“Staff have then heard two distinct gunshots as the firearm was discharged.

“Fortunately, neither of our officers were injured, and the patrol vehicle did not sustain any damage.”

He said hours later, the vehicle was seen travelling north on the Waikato Expressway towards Auckland.

Police seized the vehicle at an address in Manurewa, but they had not found the alleged offender.

Lamb said people who lived at the Manurewa address were engaging with Police.

He said Eastern District and Counties Manukau Police were making enquiries.

“Presenting a firearm at a Police officer is a serious escalation that puts our staff and the wider community at risk. This behaviour is entirely unacceptable.

“We are taking this incident extremely seriously and will be pursuing all lines of enquiry to locate the offender and hold them accountable.”

Police asked anyone who witnessed the incident to contact Police on 105 or online using the reference number 261111/3764.

Information could also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

rnz

Latest News

New Zealand sides named for RLWC finals

Published

3 days ago

November 11, 2026

News Staff

The players tasked with ending Australia’s Rugby League World Cup dominance have been named.

The Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns have announced their squads for this Sunday’s World Cup finals in Brisbane.

Both sides are chasing their first titles since 2008, and both are looking to end their opponents run of three crowns in a row.

“Our Kiwi Ferns have been so dominant in years gone by, and we want to bring dominance back to this jersey, so I think it will be a case of who wants it more,” said co-captain Georgia Hale of the impending clash.

The Kiwis get a major boost for the final as they welcome back Ronaldo Mulitalo after he served a one-match ban for a high tackle against Fiji Bati.

Mulitalo replaces Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, who moves to the six-man bench, which again includes utility Te Maire Martin, middle forwards Naufahu Whyte, Erin Clark and Xavier Willison plus fullback Keano Kini.

Loose forward Joseph Tapine will make his 30th Test appearance in a familiar pack again, including second-rowers Isaiah Papali’i and Briton Nikora, and props James Fisher-Harris and Moses Leota.

Winger Jamayne Isaako is on the cusp of claiming the New Zealand record for most Test points.

His five goals against Tonga lifted his career points tally to 225 – level with Shaun Johnson – while centre Casey McLean goes into the final with 16 tries in just eight Tests.

Fisher-Harris will again captain the team.

Fullback Ponga said the goal of the group was clear.

“We have high expectations around what we want to achieve, and obviously winning a world Cup is one of them.”

Meanwhile, Ricky Henry has selected a settled side to take on the Jillaroos, led by their lethal centre combination of Stacey Waaka and Mele Hufanga.

Veteran Apii Nicholls takes the number one jersey, Leianne Tufuga and Mackenzie Wiki on the wings.

Henry has stuck with his halves pairing of Chantay Kiria-Ratu and Raecene McGregor with Alexis Tauaneai, Georgia Hale and Otesa Pule up front.

Rounding out the starting pack is Shaniece Monschau, Kaiyah Atai, and Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa.

“We have been building well throughout the tournament; we understand the Jillaroos side, and will give it our all to make New Zealand proud this weekend,” said Henry.

RLWC Finals:

Kiwi Ferns vs Jillaroos- 6.10pm

Kiwis vs Kangaroos – 9.35pm

Sunday November 15

Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Live blog updates on RNZ

Kiwi Ferns:

1. Apii Nicholls 2. Leianne Tufuga 3. Mele Hufanga 4. Stacey Waaka 5. Mackenzie Wiki 6. Chantay Kiria-Ratu 7. Raecene McGregor 8. Alexis Tauaneai 9. Georgia Hale 10. Otesa Pule 11. Shaniece Monschau 12. Kaiyah Atai 13. Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa.

Interchange: 14. Ashleigh Quinlan 15. Annessa Biddle 16. Shannon Mato 17. Ivana Lauitiiti.

Reserves: 18. Brooke Anderson 19. Zahara Temara 20. Brianna Clark 21. Abigail Roache 22. Tenika Willison.

Kiwis:

1. Kalyn Ponga, 2. Jamayne Isaako, 3. Dane Gagai, 4. Casey McLean, 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo, 6. Kodi Nikorima, 7. Jahrome Hughes, 8. James Fisher-Harris (c), 9. Jeremy Marshall-King, 10. Moses Leota, 11. Isaiah Papali’i, 12. Briton Nikora, 13. Joseph Tapine (v/c).

Interchange: 14. Te Maire Martin, 15. Naufahu Whyte, 16. Erin Clark, 17. Xavier Willison.

Reserves: 18. Keano Kini, 19. Phoenix Crossland, 20. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 21. Scott Sorensen, 22. Leo Thompson.

rnz

Latest News

Opportunities to mitigate multi-million-dollar RNZ budget blowout likely missed – experts

Published

4 days ago

November 10, 2026

News Staff

Multiple opportunities to identify and mitigate a multi-million-dollar budget blowout at RNZ appear have been missed, according to the former executive director at Audit New Zealand.

The public broadcaster on Monday revealed a near $12 million shock financial loss after a litany of financial blunders, which will now lead to sweeping job cuts.

The $11.8m loss is more than 25 times the $470,000 RNZ had expected to lose over the year to June.

CEO Paul Thompson took responsibility for the result, and said internal reports gave an inaccurate picture of the finances, meaning the scale of the loss only became clear in October.

RNZ’s former chief financial officer Hilary Parker resigned unexpectedly in early October.

The board said it would commission an independent review into what went wrong.

Independent contractor Stephen Walker, who left the Audit Office earlier this year, said the size of the loss was surprising, as was the length of time it took to identify it – months after the financial year ended.

“Probably more of a concern is that they had seemingly been unaware that they were running up a significant deficit until they were in the preparation stage of their annual report in October.”

Walker said public entities typically produced monthly financial reports.

An interim audit also took place before the end of the financial year, he said, but if the organisation hadn’t identified significant losses at that stage, the auditor could also be in the dark.

“It seems that there’s a real weakness in forecasting and budgeting that’s occurred here and that the monthly accounts, when they’re produced, either haven’t identified these significant variances against budget or the magnitude of them really hasn’t come to light until right towards the end of the financial year,” Walker said.

“And really at that point, there’s no opportunity for the chief executive, the leadership team to take, and the board to take, any corrective action because the year has effectively been completed.”

Walker said the “significant miss” was difficult to account for given it was more than 10 percent of RNZ’s total funding.

He said based on RNZ’s annual report, financial complexity didn’t appear to be a factor.

“This $11.8m loss isn’t made up of one particular item … it seems to have been contributed to by a number of separate expense lines running over budget. So I don’t think it’s necessarily to do with complexity.”

Among the errors, RNZ wrongly counted $2m from land sales as income in its budget. Staff costs also came in $3.2m over budget, including $1.4m in redundancy payments.

Professor at Auckland University’s business school Norman Wong said based on media reports the issues identified were “significant and troubling”.

“But recognising the sale of land as income in their budget is a basic error that one would have expected to have been caught and corrected well before it got to this point.”

With funding reductions at RNZ over the past two years, Walker expected greater scrutiny of financial results.

“Virtually every public entity has had their annual budget reduced. And so you would expect … the leadership team on a monthly basis and board – I’m not sure how frequently the board will consider the information – but you would expect them to be interrogating the results on a regular basis throughout the year,” he said.

Walker said initiating an independent review was the correct course of action and that he’d want to understand what information the leadership team and the board were regularly receiving.

He said he’d “love to say” surprising financial results were rare, but conceded they occured on a semi-frequent basis during his time leading the Audit Office.

“The benefit of independent scrutiny by the Audit Office – and the auditors providing that support to the Auditor General – [is] that the reporting is fairly presented at the end of the year, whether it’s good, bad or ugly.”

rnz