Putting A Face To New Zealand’s Homeless – Part 2

Tuesday, 25 May 2021, 9:52 am
Article: Visionwest

Onokura and Ana

Ono and Ana want only the very best for their seven children but something seemingly as simple as finding a house has been a monumental challenge for them. They are part of an ethnic group that experiences homelessness or severe housing deprivation at a rate four to five times that of European New Zealanders, according to research from the University of Otago and published on the HUD website.*

This is the second in a series of three stories putting a human face to New Zealand’s housing crisis as we introduce whānau who have been supported by Visionwest through their struggle with homelessness.

Ono and Ana tell their story and give some insights into what it’s like to be homeless.

“For six years we lived in a house with others. Eventually we moved because there were things about the place that weren’t good for our kids and we knew we had to put them first. For a while after that, we moved from place to place, mostly from one emergency house to the next.

“For a while we moved into a room at a family member’s house – all nine of us in one room with a total of 20 people in the three-bedroom house. It was a tight fit and, once COVID hit, it became too difficult. We looked hard but were unable to find a rental and so went back to emergency housing.

“Homelessness is something most people probably never think about but it’s incredibly stressful. Just think about how stressful moving house is for the average family. When you have nowhere permanent to live, you’re constantly on the move, often from one emergency location to the next, and so you live in a state of stress that never goes away. You have to constantly think about things like, ‘Where are the local shops?’ ‘What school are my kids going to go to?’ ‘Is this a safe neighbourhood for our kids?’ And, each time you move, you have to settle your children into a new place.

“Emergency housing is fine but it’s never ideal. That’s why it was great for us when someone suggested we contact Visionwest. For the first time in a long time, we felt listened to. They said they would do the best they could to find us a home. Our support worker then phoned us a few times each day to keep us up to date with what she was doing for us and to reassure us that she was pretty certain there would be a place for us if we could be patient and hang on a little longer. The wait wasn’t over but was awesome and it felt so good to know someone actually cared about us.

“On June 12, 2020, we moved into a transitional housing complex in South Auckland. It felt like luxury to look around the house and know that we were going to be here for a while and wouldn’t be asked to leave within a week or two like often happens with emergency accommodation. For the first time in a long time, we felt like we had more than a house, we had a home.

“The truth is, if not for Visionwest, we’d be homeless. We couldn’t go back to the family we’d stayed with before. They’re overcrowded and there are too many issues that could affect our kids. The only alternative for us would be a back-packers hostel or a caravan park where we’d sleep in our car.

“It’s scary being homeless. Even coming to Visionwest felt risky. When we came here, we were scared. In fact, we almost just turned around and left before even seeing anyone.

“The thing that we were scared of was rejection. Most vulnerable people will tell you that. You get used to being rejected because agencies and organisations will promise you the world but are often unable to deliver. You get to the point where, when the phone rings, you know before answering that it will be bad news. Over time, all that rejection adds up and any hope you might have is worn away to a point where you accept that things may never change.

“Moving into our house, even though we knew it was just transitional, lifted that brick of rejection off our shoulders. With that huge weight removed, we can focus on our children, on being a family, and creating a good life for our kids.”

Ono and Ana are not alone in facing homelessness. About 1% of New Zealanders are homeless. That makes our homelessness rate the highest among the 35 high-income countries in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) (*The Borgen Project – September 2020). Homelessness is not their choice.

* Severe Housing Deprivation in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2018 by Kate Amore, Helen Viggers, and Philippa Howden-Chapman; He Kainga Ora, Housing and Health Research Programme.

© Scoop Media

Visionwest

Visionwest provides wraparound support services to the most vulnerable in our communities to achieve our vision of transformed lives and healthy communities.

Visionwest is one of New Zealand leading care providers, offering housing, food support, budgeting, home healthcare, youth training and employment, counselling, and early learning and care to West Auckland communities; home healthcare throughout Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Rotorua Lakes; and housing in Canterbury/Christchurch.

Contact Visionwest

• Website - www.visionwest.org.nz
• Email - communications@visionwest.org.nz
• Phone - 09 818 0700