Homelessness in New Zealand

Homeless people are 34 times more likely to commit suicide and 150 times more likely to be assaulted fatally than those of us with homes. Homelessness is not just a ‘bricks and mortar’ issue: Homeless people are also much more likely to experience a sense of dispossession, insecurity and cultural dislocation.

In a project that will inform social policy, Dr Darrin Hodgetts and Linda Nikora at the University of Waikato will use a Marsden Fund grant to study the culture and social networks of homeless people, and the relationships between the homeless and domiciled. The team will work with Auckland City Mission, Auckland City Council, Rodney District Council, Anglican Action Hamilton, Housing New Zealand, and Hamilton Mens’ Night Shelter.

Dr Hodgetts will give homeless people disposable cameras and ask them to take pictures of homelessness, social relationships and the use of public spaces. They will then be invited to talk about the photos they’ve taken. Other aspects of the work include an examination of how the media portrays homelessness, interviews with friends of families of those on the streets, and observations of the reactions homeless people get from housed people in public spaces.

Dr Hodgetts and Linda Nikora will first work with 28 homeless people in a variety of settings. These will range from the high-profile homeless population of central Auckland; the more hidden suburban and rural homeless of the Rodney district; and the growing number of homeless people in Hamilton, where under-resourced agencies are struggling to meet the demand for their support.

The researchers will then, over 18 months, follow the pathways 20 homeless people take to social reintegration – from living on the street to night shelters, shared supported housing and domiciled living.

Total Funding:    $795,342
Researchers:    Ms Linda Nikora, Department of Psychology, University of Waikato, Hamilton.
Associates:    Professor Eci Nabalarua, University of the South Pacific
Professor Alan Radley, University of Loughborough
Professor Kerry Chamberlain, Massey University