'Events' cut emergency housing

A Dunedin woman who resorted to couch surfing and sleeping in her car after being unable to find a home is frustrated after apparently being denied emergency housing because of last Friday's rugby match.

When asked about the incident, Work and Income New Zealand said a "week of regional events" meant emergency motel accommodation was unavailable.

Deirdre Sim (54) said she had been trying to find stable accommodation for the past three months but had been "flicked" between government departments.

"There are so many brick walls. The weather is getting colder and I don't have a home," she said.

On Friday last week, she went to Work and Income to try to secure emergency housing for a few nights, but was told nothing was available due to the influx of visitors for the Highlanders v Hurricanes match.

It was suggested to her that she spend five nights in the Dunedin Night Shelter. However, she did not feel comfortable sleeping in a strange place, she said.

When asked for comment about the emergency motel situation, Ministry of Social Development regional director Sue Rissman said houses in Dunedin were in short supply.

"A week of regional events has brought extra visitors into town and put additional pressure on emergency motel accommodation.

"When Deirdre came to see us last week, there were no free motels because of those events."

Ms Rissman said MSD had been in touch with Ms Sim since she spoke to the Otago Daily Times and would "continue to work closely with her to try and find a place with a transitional housing provider".

Ms Sim confirmed on Monday evening that MSD had been in touch and said appointments had been set up for her, at Work and Income and the Salvation Army.

The lack of emergency housing was "pretty rare" for Dunedin, Ms Rissman said. MSD did try to plan ahead of regional events to make sure there was emergency housing available, but was limited in what it could do to ensure motel space.

Ms Sim said that since her rental home was sold in January, she had been living in her vehicle on-and-off and staying with acquaintances. She was now staying temporarily with a friend of her partner.

As winter approached staying in her car would be like "being in an icebox".

While she found her situation embarrassing, she wanted to come forward because she thought other people would also be struggling.

Due to the toll homelessness had taken on her emotional and physical health, her doctor had advised her to give up her part-time, voluntary job at a charity.

She did not have access to a shower every morning, so it was unlikely she would make a good impression at a job interview, she said.

"It's not a good state to be in."

Information available online through MSD reveals the state housing waiting list in Dunedin was 155 people at the end of December, 30 more than in June last year.

Ms Sim understood she would be waiting at least a year for a Housing New Zealand home.

She was still searching for private rentals, but on an accommodation supplement, it was hard to make ends meet - even to keep a car running, or pay power bills.

Otago-Southland regional director for the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand Liz Nidd agreed things were "extremely difficult" for people looking for cheap housing in the city, three-bedroom houses renting for $400 a week.