Youth Development and Social Justice organization, Kick Back, is concerned that the impact of the Governments Emergency Housing reforms are resulting in more young people sleeping rough this Christmas.

Earlier this year, the Government made changes to the Emergency Housing system, limiting access to Emergency Housing and “tightening the gateway” for those needing access to emergency shelter. When the changes were made Minister Potaka assured the public that the Government was only seeking to clarify the rules, and that Emergency Housing would always be available for those who needed it.

And yet, since the Government’s decision has been implemented, Kick Back has served an increasing number of young people who have been turned away from Work & Income and had to sleep rough or cough surf in dangerous, exploitative situations as a result.

“The changes to emergency housing have made me feel like I’m not good enough, they won’t help us, they don’t care, it’s like I’m talking to a brick wall, saying the same shit over and over again, I hate it.” Shared one young person in Denied: THE GROWING COST OF DENYING YOUNG PEOPLE ACCESS TO SHELTER, a recently released report on the changes to the Emergency Housing system.

In August, Kick Back (alongside many other leaders and community organizations serving our whānau experiencing homelessness) warned that "We Will Have More Rangatahi On The Street", as a result of the Government’s decisions. Sadly, these warnings weren’t headed, and the direct cost of the Government’s choice to restrict access to Emergency Housing have been measured in the suffering, trauma, and abuse that some of our most vulnerable children have suffered.

“A lot of times I don’t sleep (when sleeping rough), I have to stay awake, roaming the streets at night, no way of contacting anyone. It’s not safe…” shared another young person in the report named above. “Mostly weekends I struggle, weekdays, are ok, I can come back to Kick Back and hang out, but the weekends are the worst. I stay out, sleep in the library, wander the streets. I can’t sleep in the streets, because I get my stuff stolen.”

Kick Back has growing concerns about the impact that denying young people access to shelter is having on the mental health and physical safety of the young people we serve.

41% of all rangatahi Kick Back serve report experiencing challenges with their mental health. “When young people sleep rough, it shouldn’t surprise us that this has an impact on their mental health. Often when rangatahi are presenting at our outreach service, The Front Door, alongside the obvious need for shelter, they are also talking to us about how their experience of homelessness is affecting their mental health with many of our rangatahi reporting that they are also experiencing suicidality.” Shares Aaron Hendry, Kick Back’s Co-Founder and General Manager. “We are seriously concerned that it is only a matter of time before someone dies as a result this policy!”

Kick Back is calling on the Government to roll back their Emergency Housing Reforms, and instead to implement Duty to Assist Legislation that would clarify the Government's responsibility to support people when they are at-risk of homelessness.

“Putting the politics aside, on a human level, I don’t believe anyone in Government wants children to be sleeping on our streets. And yet, our decisions have consequences, and this decision – to limit access to Emergency Housing – is directly resulting in more vulnerable young people being abandoned to our streets. We do not believe that this is an acceptable outcome for anyone! The Government must abandon this policy, and they must do this immediately. Lives are at stake, and young people are being harmed.”

No young person should ever have to experience homelessness. And yet, with xmas looming, the reality of being without a safe and stable home, is even more pronounced.

As most New Zealanders enjoy xmas together with their families, and as our political leaders prepare to take a break over summer, there will be young people sleeping rough over xmas, a direct result of the decisions made by our Government this year.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. That’s what we need people to understand. We can both prevent and end youth homelessness.” Shares Aaron, “But we must start making different decisions. Homelessness is the result of political decisions we – as a collective - have made, decisions that have resulted in the commodification of housing in order to prioritize the financial interests of the few, while neglecting the literal the physical and psychological safety of some of our most vulnerable people.”

No young person should be sleeping rough this Christmas.

The Government can ensure that everyone has access to shelter.

“Our young people’s lives matter! They are courageous, they are strong, they are fighters, they are survivors. Our Government has a responsibility to ensure these rangatahi can access the shelter they need.” Concludes Aaron, “I just keep asking myself, if these were your kids, if your child, or your nephew or niece was forced to sleep on the streets, what wouldn’t you do to ensure that they were safe?”

Kick Back calls on the Minister for Social Development, Louise Upston, and the Associate Minister of Housing Tama Potaka, to respond to this crisis and immediately roll back their Emergency Housing Reforms before Christmas.

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