Homelessness Rising Across New Zealand: Sector Urges Long-Term Solutions

The Salvation Army and Community Housing Aotearoa report that homelessness is increasing across the country. They note that while recent government funding announcements are welcome, further action will be needed to address the scale of need.

The latest National Homelessness Data Project (NHDP) briefing, prepared by The Salvation Army and Community Housing Aotearoa in collaboration with Kāhui Tū Kaha, Christchurch Methodist Mission, Housing First Backbone, Wellington City Mission, Downtown Community Ministry, and others, paints a stark picture:

None of 21 agencies interviewed reported a reduction in homelessness. Fourteen reported increases, seven reported no change.
Homelessness is spreading beyond city centres into suburbs, with transience on the rise as people are moved from one place to another.
Women, older adults and youth are increasingly at risk, with 50% of those experiencing severe housing deprivation being under 25 years old.
Māori are disproportionately affected, with a third of homeless women identifying as Māori.
Auckland homelessness has more than doubled between September 2024 and September 2025.

While the Government announced $17 million in targeted funding in September for Housing First places and outreach support, the support in particular is time-limited to June 2026 and insufficient to meet demand. Meanwhile smaller centres like Napier and Taranaki have been overlooked.

"We welcome the additional funding, but it's a short-term fix for a long-term crisis," says Lt-Colonel Ian Hutson, mission officer, Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit at The Salvation Army. "Homelessness is not just about housing, it's about health, addiction, trauma, and poverty. Without wraparound support and sustained investment, people will continue to fall through the cracks."

Key Concerns

Funding cuts: Total funding for housing support programmes has dropped by $79 million compared with last year.
Emergency Housing grants plummeted: Applications for Emergency Housing have dropped significantly, at the same time as the proportion of applications being declined has increased markedly.
MSD discretion not working: Despite instructions to use discretion, agencies report inconsistent practices, growing mistrust, and fewer referrals.

Sector Solutions

The briefing calls for:

Sustained funding beyond June 2026 to allow providers to build capacity.
Responses must prioritise Māori-led solutions.
Flexible funding for tailored responses, including youth, older adults and women-only pathways.
Housing with wraparound support, including mental health and addiction services.
Evidence that MSD is applying the Minister's direction of discretion when assessing eligibility for housing.
Regional housing supply plans backed by timely data collection.

"We know what works: long-term housing with support, and community-led solutions are proven to end homelessness," says Paul Gilberd, Chief Executive, Community Housing Aotearoa. Improving people's access to these services is a critical step to ending homelessness. It's also the right thing to do.

About the National Homelessness Data Project

The NHDP is a sector-led initiative involving The Salvation Army, Kāhui Tū Kaha, Christchurch Methodist Mission, Wellington City Mission, Downtown Community Ministry, and others, supported by Community Housing Aotearoa and Housing First Backbone. It aims to provide consistent data and insights to inform policy and practice.

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