Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Fears grow for needy as winter bites

By Lindy Laird
Reporter·Northern Advocate·
4 Jun, 2013 09:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Social agencies say that while most people can just turn up the heater when the winter weather sets in, others find the power bill breaks the bank.

Tai Tokerau Emergency Housing Trust manager Chrissie McLoughlin said winter takes its toll on needy people and she fears tougher Government criteria for welfare assistance will push some into more desperate straits.

"As far as stricter criteria for help, I do understand that some things need to be tightened but people in real need will now find it harder to get assistance," Ms McLoughlin said of the benefit system changes to be introduced next month.

The Government describes it as "an investment approach that will target those most at risk of long-term welfare dependence".

But Ms McLoughlin said more practical solutions were needed to help some people live on what they already earned or were entitled to.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The new Social Housing Reform (Amendment Bill) which will allow private sector groups to provide social housing was unlikely to have an immediate impact on local homelessness, she said.

The pressure on emergency housing had increased steadily over the seven years since the emergency housing trust started in Whangarei. It provides temporary accommodation for over 200 people a year, including children, and has a "wrap-around" networking policy that refers clients to other assistance.

The trust commonly helped people who struggled to pay their bills and had lost tenancy agreements. Some clients had mental health issues or needed temporary accommodation after being released from prison; not all were beneficiaries and there were many, sometimes complex reasons why people needed emergency housing, Ms McLoughlin said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The trust is currently awaiting this winter's onslaught.

"The single men's quarters are chock-a-block to overflowing right now. There's not so much pressure on the family units this week at least, but that can change in a heartbeat."

The Whangarei Salvation Army has also seen a rise in people seeking help since the weather turned, community ministries team leader Cathy Elkington said.

The Salvation Army did not provide emergency housing but made referrals to other services. The church no longer provided community meals but distributed goods, blankets and warm clothing donated by the public.

"We've done a month of cold and wet now. We'll soon be seeing the effect of that."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales

Northern Advocate

'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi

Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales
Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales

More than 170 customers south of Cape Rēinga are still without power.

17 Jul 08:26 AM
'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi
Northern Advocate

'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi

17 Jul 06:02 AM
Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime
Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime

17 Jul 04:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP