The cost of living is making it harder for people to find affordable accommodation and the Male Room is working with three to five new people each week who need a roof over their head.
Manager of the support centre, Louis Chapman, says there is already a waiting list for the different types of emergency accommodation and “it is tough out there” for many people. The centre is just one of many groups and agencies working with people seeking somewhere to live or in need of support.
Though the centre is primarily aimed at men, it is open each weekday for anyone who needs support, food, a kitchen to cook a meal and somewhere to have a shower if they don’t have a home.
Between 25 and 40 people pass through the Male Room every day for either food or support with homelessness. Each week, between three and five of those people will be newly homeless, while others are on waiting lists for accommodation, he says.
Louis says there have been about 80 rentals on Trademe ranging in price between $450 per week through to $800, which is unaffordable for the people who walk through the door seeking accommodation.
The cost of living is a relatively new reason for pushing people into homelessness, he says. Often it is an increase in rent of maybe $50 per week that is “the straw that breaks the camel’s back” and forces them into living in cars, couch surfing, on the street, or needing food which they can no longer afford.
Men are usually the face of the homeless on the street, but he says homeless women are less visible because they are couch surfing or living in their cars.
“A lot of people do a good job of hiding their homelessness. They come here and have a shower and get dressed up. But they tend to be the recently homeless.”
He says people who never thought they would end up homeless can find themselves without a home and unable to find somewhere to live.
“Some have had a partner and kids, then the relationship breaks up and they don’t get to see the kids. That leads to drinking and that leads to drugs and that can lead to mental health. Then they end up on the street.
“Then there are those who grew up in a boys’ home, always been in trouble and never really known mum or dad. A lot of us have been through tough times but have family around us for support. But not everyone has that support.”
Louis says released prisoners often end up homeless as well. Main centres have wrap-around services to help them back into the community, but not regions such as Nelson-Tasman. He says it makes it challenging for them securing rental accommodation or going into a flatting situation, especially if they have electronic bracelets.
When someone turns up at the Male Room looking for a bed for the night, Louis says they call backpackers looking for space and get a quote for the Ministry of Social Development.
“If you get lucky you can get in the same day or if you present really poorly, they can say no. Then we give them tents and sleeping bags. Council can be really understanding if someone is in a tent and not causing trouble. Otherwise, they just become a problem somewhere else and someone will take pity on them and give them another tent.”
Louis says social housing for single people has been really lacking in the region and many of the homeless are single. For that reason, he hopes the proposed social housing development on the former Wakatu Lodge site will help some people as it includes one-bedroom units.
