Lisamaree Peerdemen has just got her first home after 18 months of living under a bridge, and most of her life on the streets. Photo: RNZ / Amy Williams
There is a disproportionately high rate of women without shelter in New Zealand, particularly in Auckland, people working with the homeless are warning.
Auckland Council's Community Committee will meet to discuss the region's homelessness crisis tomorrow, as well as a report showing the number of homeless people rose to 809 in May this year - a 90 percent increase since last September.
Lisamaree Peerdeman moved into state housing this month after living under a bridge in Auckland's city centre on-and-off most of her life.
"I've just got my first home after 18 months of living under the bridge. I had my four bedroom household lot under there, set up like a house just no walls, but I could light my fire and that's what made me feel like home."
Having been homeless for decades, she has noticed there are now more women sleeping rough and it concerns her.
"Terrible increase in wahine and they're all old school and if they're not old school, they're young. They're beaten children, accused and abused. Their home environment behind the doors is not good."
She keeps an eye out for the young women on the street and makes sure outreach teams working with the city's homeless know they are there.
Peerdeman pops into Manaaki Tangata most days - it is a wellbeing space in downtown Auckland that the Māori wardens run under the stewardship of Matarora Smith.
There is a washing machine and shower and the wardens provide plates of hot food - something Peerdeman said helped her budget now that she was paying rent.
"I'm $120 a week now after I pay my rent, power and gas and if it wasn't for nanny Matarora and the women's yard I'd be really in trouble. Not really though, because I'm the one that will tell you which bins to go to to get your kai."
The wellbeing space is among the initiatives funded by Auckland Council - a snippet of its half a million dollar annual spend on groups supporting the city's homeless.
Research by the Coalition to End Women's Homelessness late last year found 46 percent of women suffering homelessness in New Zealand live in Auckland.
Auckland City Missioner Helen Robinson will talk to tomorrow's committee meeting as a representative of the coalition.
Auckland councillor Angela Dalton chairs the community Committee, which on Tuesday will discuss the latest numbers showing a 90 percent increase in those sleeping rough in Auckland since September last year.
This followed the release of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development's latest Homelessness Insights Report, which showed some of the 14 percent of people leaving emergency housing may be homeless.
"There will be an inequity in the money that is being invested at this point in time so I would like to know what is it that council can contribute to, that will make a real change or a shift for women who are struggling to find a safe place to live."
Another woman who is homeless in Auckland, whom RNZ agreed not to name, said the street is no place for women.
She said the car she was living in was stolen a few weeks ago and she does not feel safe sleeping rough.
"I feel so sorry for the females because there is no place for the females in this, the males can look after themselves - we can't, we're vulnerable. I've been through 17 years of domestic violence and I'm still going."
New to Auckland, she said there are women on the street who need help.
"I've only met a few women on the street I don't know how many women there are on the street but the women I have seen on the street they seem to like it, they know what they want. It's up to them if they want the help, but I know there are women out there that need the help."
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