Gill Higgins and her team at TVNZ covered the story of Cheyenne, who is living unhoused in Tauranga, and her sister, Misty, who wants to see Cheyenne safe and healthy in a home of her own. In her coverage, Gill quotes our recent report, 'Ngā Ara Ki Te Kāinga: Understanding Barriers and Solutions to Women's Homelessness'. "Cheyenne has a history of family trauma, addiction issues, and mental ill health – the very elements identified in a report released yesterday in parliament about the chronic and growing issue of homeless women in New Zealand. According to the report, 50,000 women define themselves as homeless. And it highlights bleak realities for those women such as opting to sleep during the day (for safety) and stay up at night (when public toilets and showers are often locked), as well as the struggles of managing issues such as pregnancy and menstruation without a home. It also stresses the “interconnected” issues of past trauma, mental illness and addiction, and how they frequently serve as “both causes and consequences of homelessness”. Cheyenne has had a long battle with all three." Thank you to Cheyenne and Misty for sharing their stories and to Gill for shining a light on this important topic. Auckland City Mission - Te Tāpui Atawhai Wellington Homeless Women's Trust Te Whare Tiaki Wāhine Refuge Christchurch Methodist Mission Te Matapihi - National Māori Housing Advocate Community Housing Aotearoa Ngā Wharerau o Aotearoa
This week sees some 15 homeless people forced from a makeshift camp in Whanganui just before Christmas. It's the week the PM says Councils need to put road improvements ahead of social housing. Headlines that come and go, but behind each one lie personal stories. Last week, the TVNZ Indepth team shared one of these: it's the story of Misty and Cheyanne, it's their story, in their words, they just tell it like it is ... for them, housing is "back to basics". https://lnkd.in/gS_w2mpk Cameras: Rewi Heke, Gary Hopper, Will Green Editor: Bleddyn Parry #homeless hashtag #citymission hashtag #socialhousing hashtag #homelessness hashtag #tvnz