Homelessness Outlook
- Introducing the Homelessness Outlook
- Indicators of Homelessness
- Events Influencing Homelessness
- Glossary for the Homelessness Outlook
This section describes adverse, large-scale events that can influence the number of people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness in Aotearoa. This edition of the Outlook includes the severe weather events that occurred in January and February 2023.
Future editions may include events such as natural disasters or significant economic disruption in a particular region.
Severe Weather Events 2023
Major flooding across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and the upper North Island (i.e., the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods) and Cyclone Gabrielle in late January and early February caused widespread damage to homes, land, roading and other infrastructure. Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (particularly South and West Auckland), Tairāwhiti Gisborne, Te Tai Tokerau Northland and Te Matau-a-Māui Hawke’s Bay were particularly affected and had higher rates of homelessness(external link) prior to these events.
Because of these events, some households had to leave their damaged homes temporarily, while others have been made homeless. Almost 1,000 buildings received a red placard indicating the building was unsafe to enter until repaired. Nearly 5,000 buildings received a yellow placard, indicating use of the building was restricted in some way. People who were living in homes with a red or yellow placard may need housing support for weeks, months or years. A further 5,600 buildings received a white placard indicating the building was damaged but could be used as usual. Households in homes with a white placard are unlikely to have been displaced but may be faced with unexpected costs due to the damage.
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Table 1. Rapid Building Assessment placard data for the North Island and by region
Data source: Rapid Building Assessment data, 31 March 2023. Supplied by the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE).
Area
Number of buildings that cannot be used
(red placard)
Number of buildings with restricted use (yellow placard)
Number of damaged buildings with unrestricted use (white placard)
North Island Total
852
3788
5158
Northland
15
31
49
Far North District
< 5
< 5
< 5
Kaipara District
10
8
32
Whangārei District
5
22
17
Auckland
678
2366
4332
Waikato
7
13
19
Hauraki
Not applicable
< 5
0
Thames-Coromandel
17
24
40
Tairāwhiti
23
206
275
Hawke’s Bay
106
1128
430
Hastings District
100
712
94
Central Hawke’s Bay
< 5
95
21
Wairoa District
< 5
191
270
Napier City
< 5
130
45
Palmerston North
0
< 5
0
Tararua District
6
9
9
Masterton
0
5
< 5
Note: To protect privacy, numbers below five have been withheld.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment’s (MBIE) Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) helps households affected by natural disasters to find accommodation while their home is repaired or rebuilt. On 30 March 2023, 618 households were residing in temporary accommodation supplied by TAS across the affected regions. A further 373 households were awaiting placement in TAS accommodation, while 168 additional households were identified as potentially requiring TAS support in the future. TAS data likely underestimates the true impact of these weather events on homelessness as it only includes households who have accessed this service.
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Table 2. Number of households living in, awaiting placement in, or identified as having a future need for temporary accommodation supplied by TAS.
Data source: Temporary Accommodation Service data, 30 March 2023. Supplied by MBIE.
Number of households in TAS supply
Number of households awaiting placement
Number of households identified as future need
Total across affected regions
618
373
168
Northland Region
< 5
21
< 5
Auckland Region
426
180
76
Waikato Region
< 5
6
< 5
Bay of Plenty Region
0
< 5
0
Tairāwhiti Region
48
29
16
Manawatu-Whanganui Region
0
0
0
Hawke’s Bay Region
138
132
71
Wairoa District Council
Not available
26
11
Napier City Council
Not available
31
15
Hastings District Council
Not available
72
37
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council
Not available
0
< 5
Central Hawke’s Bay District Council
Not available
< 5
7
Note: To reflect the complexity of the situation in Hawke’s Bay, data has been reported by local council. To protect privacy, numbers below five have been withheld.
Additional factors influencing housing need in the affected regions
The full social, health and economic impacts of the severe weather events on the number of people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness are yet to be seen. Households in these regions will likely need support for some time, and the extent of this support will vary depending on need.
The impact of these severe weather events adds to existing financial and housing pressures for households across the affected regions, particularly Te Tai Tokerau Northland, South & West Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Tairāwhiti Gisborne, and Te Matau-a-Māui Hawke’s Bay. High levels of deprivation(external link), challenges with accessing affordable rentals and high public housing demand suggest a lack of housing supply to accommodate displaced households in these regions. In addition, flooding damage may exacerbate challenges faced by vulnerable households with fewer economic resources. For example, households without home or contents insurance will have unexpected costs for repairs and replacements. Furthermore, significant damage to agriculture, horticulture, and forestry operations in Tairāwhiti Gisborne and Te Matau-a-Māui Hawke’s Bay may reduce employment and place additional strain on household budgets.
Cyclone Gabrielle also caused damage or even total destruction of many marae, particularly in Te Matau-a-Māui Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti Gisborne. As well as being cultural and social hubs for their own iwi kāinga (local people), marae are widely used as community emergency response centres as well as locations for health and social services. Despite the impacts on their infrastructure, iwi and other Māori organisations in the affected areas have been active in assessing housing needs and working to meet that need.