D
281 days ago

And the Homelessness continues to grow

Donna from Otaki District

www.thepost.co.nz...
And the situation is getting worse, with increasing numbers of homeless people here in Kapiti while we wait for the Housing Trust to get up and running. How long has gone past since Kapiti was made to be more aware of the dreadful situation here? I had the chance to meet a youth who was homeless. He was able to get into a motel but only for one week. He then needed to find alternative accommodation or it would be back to the streets again. He left Kapiti but that just moves the homeless person a number in another town. The organisations are few and far between where they can do something for these homeless youth, families, elderly etc. How many are not known of because they are surfing couches, going from one place to another constantly, sleeping in cars, in derelict and abandoned buildings/houses? Where more than one family is living in one house. How many times does a tenant have to find a rental because the owner can evict with no reason now? How many are too shy to get WINZ help.
I had a solution but this government has put the kaibosh on that. Why can't WINZ use the Temporary Assistance Supplement (TAS) to help with outrageous rents when they have been paying motels. I would bet it would be cheaper, in the long run, to use the TAS instead of paying the moteliers who are making money hand over fist with that. But then it seems after one week another homeless person is housed for only that week.
Now that takes me to the ridiculous situation of the TAS. I have been getting that for 14 years and have to renew it every three months. I was on the Kainga Ora list to find accommodation that would suit my needs. Yes, we all have different needs. But I decided I had had enough of living in a motel where drug users were present and an abusive man to his family. So I found a rental a long way from my family and of course, the rent went up every year. I am pleased to say this year it has not increased, but it will eventually.
How would each M.P. cope with living in the same situation that many of us have no other option?
KCDC and the Mayor think they are doing something useful but what have we got to show for it? If there were to be some sort of disaster housing would be found for those who lose their homes due to the disaster

More messages from your neighbours
1 day ago

Poll: Do you set New Year’s resolutions?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

🎉 2026 is almost here!

We’re curious ... how do you welcome it?
Do you set resolutions, follow special traditions, or just go with the flow?

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Do you set New Year’s resolutions?
  • 10.5% Yes! New Year, New Me
    10.5% Complete
  • 20.7% Yes - but I rarely stick to them
    20.7% Complete
  • 68.8% Nah - not for me
    68.8% Complete
401 votes
8 hours ago

Quote for the Day

Mike from Paraparaumu

Interviewer:
"Do you think that the British class system has finally ended?"
Upper-middle class Romance author, Dame Barbara Cartland:
"Well, of course it has; otherwise I would't be sitting here, talking to someone like you!"

Happy New Year [hopefully!]
Mike

5 days ago

Driven On The Akatarawa Rd Lately?

Marie from Waikanae

If so, its good to know you are still alive and reading this.

We have a function to go to over Christmas up that way and having heard a few hairy stories about the road, I went up there on Thursday to check it out. The road's ok, narrow and winding, but not much worse than a Wellington hill suburb. What was pretty scary was the behavior of other drivers. Three vehicles heading the other way at speed would have crashed into me if I hadn't been pulled off the road. I had pulled in to check the address when a truck came flying past, taking up all of the narrow road at speed. There is no way the driver would have been able to stop had they come around the corner immediately in front of me. The other two drivers came hurtling past as I had turned in to turn around and come back down the hill. They were also driving at speed and taking up most of the road. Coming back down I passed another car coming up and estimate that the safe speed to pass another car was about 30-35 kms.p.h. So, now we're thinking, do we go to the function or not.? Feels a bit like we're taking our life in our hands going up there. Drivers appear to be overconfident, and they are courting serious injury.