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Homelessness - Coggle Diagram
Homelessness
Core Issues
Severe housing deprivation in Aotearoa reflects deep structural inequalities and the commodification of housing. Housing is increasingly treated as a privilege rather than a right. Homelessness is not only rough sleeping but also includes hidden homelessness—people living in overcrowded, temporary, or uninhabitable conditions.
- 2023: 112,496 people (2.3%) homeless (Stats NZ).
- 68,967 in uninhabitable housing.
- 24,768 sharing someone else’s dwelling.
- Māori and Pacific peoples experience the highest rates.
- 4 in 5 homeless women are Māori.
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Theoretical Perspectives
Theoretical Perspective 1: Structural/Marxist Perspective
Views homelessness as a product of capitalism and housing commodification. Emphasises systemic inequality, colonisation, and state withdrawal from welfare.
- Housing treated as a market commodity excludes low-income and marginalised groups.
- Root cause: economic and political systems prioritising profit over social wellbeing.
Theoretical Perspective 2: Neoliberal/Individualistic Perspective Sees homelessness as an outcome of individual responsibility and poor life choices. Solutions emphasise personal accountability, market efficiency, and targeted welfare.
- Focus on managing homelessness (not ending it) via transitional housing, emergency assistance, and private rental reliance.
- Views housing as earned through compliance and responsible behaviour.
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Causes
- Structural factors: Long-term income inequality, unaffordable private housing, inadequate public housing investment.
- Colonial legacies & intergenerational trauma affecting Māori and Pacific communities.
- Gendered inequalities: Pay gaps, childcare responsibilities, gendered violence, and lack of safe housing for women.
- Disability & health: Lack of accessible, affordable housing for disabled people.
- Policy failures: Fragmented responses focusing on crisis management instead of systemic prevention.
- Homelessness increased by 90% since early 2024, particularly in Auckland.
- Up to 350,000 people estimated in hidden homelessness (Stats NZ undercount).
Overall Comparison
While both perspectives aim to reduce homelessness, they differ in underlying assumptions: the structural view sees it as a systemic failure requiring redistribution and decommodification, whereas the neoliberal view sees it as an individual and market issue requiring management and conditional support.
Empirical evidence (e.g., Stats NZ data) supports the structural view, showing rising homelessness despite market-oriented policies.
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