Wairarapa Advocate Service advocate Trevor MacKiewicz said many beneficiaries and low-income earners were living below the "bread line" and were struggling to pay utility bills like power and gas, put food on the table and pay rents so were resorting to moving accommodation as a way of making end's meet.
Unless the Government stepped in, it could be a permanent way of life for many families. "I wouldn't be surprised if trailer parks didn't pop up all over the place. We have heard of lots of people moving into cabins and caravans to cut down on costs. It's just so expensive for them to live."
The reason - a shortage of reasonably priced accommodation, he said.
"There is just no real cheap accommodation in Masterton. The only way people can afford to live is to cut down on things - especially power. It's just ridiculous people living on the minimum wage are expected to pay rents of between $300 and $400 for four bedrooms. People just can't afford that - even middle-income earners. It's just not easy for them. Many are living on a pittance."
He believed the Government needed to step in. "If they (the Government) are really serious about getting people off the benefit then they need to look at lifting wages so people can survive. Too many are struggling. Something needs to be done because it's just getting worse and worse for people. They just can't afford to live - everything is too expensive."
Masterton Safe and Healthy Community Council manager Sandy Ryan said she was hearing of cases where people - mainly single women with children and more mature women near retirement - were moving into boarding situations or into portable accommodation in backyards because they couldn't afford rents.
There was no social housing provider in the Wairarapa like Housing NZ that provided discounted rents, she said. Trust Housing was available at market rentals but many people couldn't afford them - especially single people. "It's predominantly people on their own with no dependants."
Such situations of sharing space could put stress on people already under stress, she said. "A number of these people end up in boarding situations but they aren't always in a healthy state to be living with other people."
She had applied to Internal Affairs for funding to complete research on the issue to see what could be done to help people unable to pay rents.
"If people don't have secure housing it creates other issues for them ... mental health and other things like poverty ... When you have 70 per cent of your income going into accommodation how can you live in dignity? We need to get some funding together. We need the research to know more and to provide adequate sound housing for those in need."
Dr Christina Severinsen from the University of Otago told delegates at a Public Health Association conference last week it was a "socio-political" issue with many residents throughout the country facing a lack of housing options and resorting to camping grounds or backyard living.
"Housing provision for people from low socio-economic groups and those leaving institutions is inadequate. To fix this problem we need to focus more on identifying the barriers people looking for housing face, such as insufficient and inappropriate housing provision. Greater access to appropriate and stable housing is desperately needed."
