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Wellington man faces homelessness in old age after working his whole life
Ethan Te Ora
05:00, Mar 05 2021
ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF
Terrance De Souza, 70, has cycled in and out of emergency housing over the last few years. He had never been homeless before, but now fears he will have to live in a car with his dog.
Terrance De Souza just wants a home for himself and his dog. Now aged 70 and unable to get work for the first time in his life, De Souza has fewer than two weeks to find a house – or else he will be homeless.
De Souza immigrated to New Zealand from Singapore 35 years ago and worked as a cleaner until leaving his job a few years ago due to health issues. He had been unable to find work since and had cycled in and out of emergency housing, most recently at Fernhill Motor Lodge, where he lives now.
“I’m trying to get a home; this is not a home,” said De Souza. “They tell me 20,000 people are waiting [for social housing]. I’m one of those people.
Ross Giblin/Stuff
Terrance De Souza is living at the Fernhill Motor Lodge, but has been told he must leave in two weeks.
“I could live in my car with my dog, or buy a tent. If push comes to shove, I’ll do that.”
Emergency housing in the Wellington region has almost tripled over the last year, due to the effects of Covid-19 and a shortage of affordable housing. The Ministry of Social Development confirmed that 622 households were currently living in emergency housing, compared with 212 households this time last year.
READ MORE:
* Wellington's emergency housing grows by 300 per cent in a year, under strain from Covid-19 and escalating housing crisis
* As motels close doors to emergency guests people are being forced into tents
* Chronic homelessness in New Zealand can be fixed by Housing First, expert says
A person or family was only supposed to stay in emergency housing for seven days – but a shortage of affordable housing meant the duration of a stay was often much longer, sometimes years.
De Souza was given an eviction notice last Friday, but MSD had extended the notice period till March 12.
Ross Giblin
Terrance De Souza fears he won't ever again have a stable job and secure housing.
Over the last few months, De Souza had applied for almost 30 private rentals, but none will let him keep his dog, Felix. He was offered community housing through the St James Presbyterian Church, but would have to put Felix in a kennel, which was a cost he couldn’t afford.
“She is my family,” De Souza said.
Aro Mai Housing First Operations Manager Taone O’Regan said pets would often become an extra hurdle for people in emergency housing when it came to finding a home.
“It’s really, really challenging to find any properties that will accept dogs,” O’Regan said. “Some emergency providers allow dogs, but it’s very limited. But pets can be really important for people’s wellbeing, quite often they are that person’s only family and connection.”
ROSA WOODS/Stuff
Emergency housing in the Wellington region has almost tripled over the last year, due to the effects of Covid-19 and a shortage of affordable housing.
The Government had done well to secure additional emergency housing during the response to Covid-19, O’Regan said.
Before Covid-19, people in emergency housing had to re-apply every week – but now tenure was more flexible.
Even so, people in emergency housing would have to demonstrate to MSD they were applying for other kinds of housing, as well as get a quote from the emergency housing provider every few weeks for approval by MSD.
Ross Giblin
Terrance also needs to find a place that will allow him to be with his dog Felix.
“It’s a really time-consuming and difficult process,” O’Regan said. “Chances are, he’ll be able to stay. But when you’re constantly being judged, ‘have you searched hard enough?’ ‘show me the emails’, it’s anxiety-provoking.”
Wellington City Missioner Murray Edridge said more people than in the past were on the brink of homelessness.
“There are so many in our community who are living right on the threshold,” Edridge said. “It’s often said that we’re all only two or three life events away from homelessness.”
A lot of people who were just getting by before Covid-19 had now fallen into homelessness.
“There’s no easy solution – or single solution. It’s an indictment on our society that we judge people who are in these circumstances, which are often just a perfect storm of hopelessness.”
Wellington City councillor Fleur FitzSimons, who holds the housing portfolio, said De Souza’s story was a timely reminder of the harsh reality of the housing crisis.
“This is a heartbreaking story and a very real reminder that there are people behind the housing crisis statistics. These people deserve compassion and support to ensure they can live comfortably.”
Wellington man faces homelessness in old age after working his whole life
Ethan Te Ora
05:00, Mar 05 2021
ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF
Terrance De Souza, 70, has cycled in and out of emergency housing over the last few years. He had never been homeless before, but now fears he will have to live in a car with his dog.
Terrance De Souza just wants a home for himself and his dog. Now aged 70 and unable to get work for the first time in his life, De Souza has fewer than two weeks to find a house – or else he will be homeless.
De Souza immigrated to New Zealand from Singapore 35 years ago and worked as a cleaner until leaving his job a few years ago due to health issues. He had been unable to find work since and had cycled in and out of emergency housing, most recently at Fernhill Motor Lodge, where he lives now.
“I’m trying to get a home; this is not a home,” said De Souza. “They tell me 20,000 people are waiting [for social housing]. I’m one of those people.
Ross Giblin/Stuff
Terrance De Souza is living at the Fernhill Motor Lodge, but has been told he must leave in two weeks.
“I could live in my car with my dog, or buy a tent. If push comes to shove, I’ll do that.”
Emergency housing in the Wellington region has almost tripled over the last year, due to the effects of Covid-19 and a shortage of affordable housing. The Ministry of Social Development confirmed that 622 households were currently living in emergency housing, compared with 212 households this time last year.
READ MORE:
* Wellington's emergency housing grows by 300 per cent in a year, under strain from Covid-19 and escalating housing crisis
* As motels close doors to emergency guests people are being forced into tents
* Chronic homelessness in New Zealand can be fixed by Housing First, expert says
A person or family was only supposed to stay in emergency housing for seven days – but a shortage of affordable housing meant the duration of a stay was often much longer, sometimes years.
De Souza was given an eviction notice last Friday, but MSD had extended the notice period till March 12.
Ross Giblin
Terrance De Souza fears he won't ever again have a stable job and secure housing.
Over the last few months, De Souza had applied for almost 30 private rentals, but none will let him keep his dog, Felix. He was offered community housing through the St James Presbyterian Church, but would have to put Felix in a kennel, which was a cost he couldn’t afford.
“She is my family,” De Souza said.
Aro Mai Housing First Operations Manager Taone O’Regan said pets would often become an extra hurdle for people in emergency housing when it came to finding a home.
“It’s really, really challenging to find any properties that will accept dogs,” O’Regan said. “Some emergency providers allow dogs, but it’s very limited. But pets can be really important for people’s wellbeing, quite often they are that person’s only family and connection.”
ROSA WOODS/Stuff
Emergency housing in the Wellington region has almost tripled over the last year, due to the effects of Covid-19 and a shortage of affordable housing.
The Government had done well to secure additional emergency housing during the response to Covid-19, O’Regan said.
Before Covid-19, people in emergency housing had to re-apply every week – but now tenure was more flexible.
Even so, people in emergency housing would have to demonstrate to MSD they were applying for other kinds of housing, as well as get a quote from the emergency housing provider every few weeks for approval by MSD.
Ross Giblin
Terrance also needs to find a place that will allow him to be with his dog Felix.
“It’s a really time-consuming and difficult process,” O’Regan said. “Chances are, he’ll be able to stay. But when you’re constantly being judged, ‘have you searched hard enough?’ ‘show me the emails’, it’s anxiety-provoking.”
Wellington City Missioner Murray Edridge said more people than in the past were on the brink of homelessness.
“There are so many in our community who are living right on the threshold,” Edridge said. “It’s often said that we’re all only two or three life events away from homelessness.”
A lot of people who were just getting by before Covid-19 had now fallen into homelessness.
“There’s no easy solution – or single solution. It’s an indictment on our society that we judge people who are in these circumstances, which are often just a perfect storm of hopelessness.”
Wellington City councillor Fleur FitzSimons, who holds the housing portfolio, said De Souza’s story was a timely reminder of the harsh reality of the housing crisis.
“This is a heartbreaking story and a very real reminder that there are people behind the housing crisis statistics. These people deserve compassion and support to ensure they can live comfortably.”
