21 Nov 2015

Hundreds march to demand action on housing

7:19 pm on 21 November 2015

Several hundred people took part in hikoi in the country's largest cities demanding warm and dry rental homes, and an end to child poverty.

About 300 people took part in the three-hour march in Auckland today led by The Child Poverty Action Group, First Union, Unite Union and Auckland Action Against Poverty from Glen Innes to Orakei.

Spokesperson Sue Bradford said it was really important a strong message was sent to the government from all the different kinds of people affected by the housing crisis.

Ms Bradford said she marched with homeless people living in their cars and in parks, state housing tenants, and renters upset at the prospect of not being able to afford their own home.

Hikoi on the issue also took place in Wellington and Christchurch.

Among those taking part were homeless families sleeping in bus shelters and cars, and the coalition was demanding an immediate stop to the sell-off of state and council housing.

Spokesperson Dudley Harvey-Smith said the Child Poverty Action Group had been struggling to be heard on its own.

"They've been presenting the facts about child poverty for 21 years now and frankly they haven't got a lot of traction, so now we've decided to get involved and start building some coalitions to put some pressure on government where it counts, which is at the ballot box and in terms of public opinion."

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