Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Lack of adequate housing hurting families

Updated at 6:37 am on 17 August 2011

A Whanau Ora worker says the biggest challenge facing the families she's working with, is a lack of adequate housing.

Merepaea Dunn, a kaiarahi or navigator for Waipareira Trust in West Auckland, helps up to 20 families access social services and achieve goals they've set out for themselves.

She says some of her clients are sleeping rough or in their cars because they have bad credit or can't afford the weekly rent.

Ms Dunn says unless you've been a victim of domestic abuse, or have children, there isn't anything out there.

She says the lack of housing is frustrating and disheartening, and more temporary accommodation needs to be made available to those who are struggling.

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