Another senseless death on the streets Auckland
27 March 2014
The New Zealand Coalition to End Homelessness (NZCEH) again calls on government to take action to stop senseless deaths
of the nation’s homeless following the death of a homeless man in Auckland.
Corie Haddock, Tangata Tiriti Co-Chair of NZCEH stated “There is a growing crisis in cities all over New Zealand and
very little is being done to address it. People are sleeping in abandoned buildings, in cars, in garages in overcrowded
homes and a multitude of inappropriate accommodation and the plight of this population is being dismissed by the
government. We need programmes and services that will support people into accommodation and provide ongoing support to
address the underlying issues that lead them into homelessness in the first place.”
NZCEH Tangata Whenua Co-Chair Dr Shiloh Groot says “Homelessness is never a choice.
Research shows that homelessness is caused by a lack of options for individuals and is often the result of a series of
tragic events in people’s lives. There needs to be commitment and leadership from central and local government in
partnership with community organisations to develop a strategy. A strategy that will remove the pathways leading to
homelessness and eliminate the barriers that keep people there.
Homelessness can be ended with a commitment from all parties.
Ends