Severe Housing Deprivation Rises in 2023

At the time of the 2023 Census, at least 112,496 people (2.3 percent of the census usually resident population) were estimated to be severely housing deprived. This is an increase of around 13,000 on the 99,462 people (2.1 percent of the population) estimated for 2018, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

Severe housing deprivation refers to people living in severely inadequate housing who don't have the means or the option to access a private dwelling to rent or own that has all basic amenities. It includes a range of situations from living without shelter to living in uninhabitable housing.

2023 Census severe housing deprivation (homelessness) estimates has more information.

"Getting a sense of how many New Zealanders are living in severe housing deprivation is an important step towards addressing the challenge of homelessness," principal analyst Dr Rosemary Goodyear said.

Data from the 2023 Census has provided the basis to estimate the extent, type, and characteristics of the severely housing deprived population.

"We found that most people who were severely housing deprived were living in uninhabitable housing or sharing someone else's severely crowded home," Goodyear said.

Different living situations

New Zealand definition of homelessness: 2015 update is used to organise the severely housing deprived population into four groups:

• without shelter
• in temporary accommodation
• sharing someone else's private dwelling
• in uninhabitable housing.

Comparing with earlier estimates

The first estimates of severe housing deprivation were published in 2013, largely based on the 2001 and 2006 Censuses. Due to the data available, these only included people sharing someone else's private dwelling, living in temporary accommodation, or living without shelter. In 2001 and 2006, 0.8 percent of the population were estimated to be severely housing deprived (using the first three categories of homelessness), while for 2023 the comparable estimate was 0.9 percent. In 2001, 28,649 people were estimated to be in these three categories of homelessness, compared with 43,529 people in 2023.

The severe housing deprivation estimate for 2018 was lower than expected when compared with the increasing trend from 2001, due to challenges with the 2018 Census. Despite this, it was clear there would still be an increase from 2018 to 2023.

More people living without shelter

The proportion of usual residents living without shelter (roofless or rough sleeper, living in an improvised dwelling or shelter, or living in a mobile dwelling) increased 29.5 percent in 2023 compared with 2018, from 7.8 to 10.1 people per 10,000. This is likely to be an undercount because people living without shelter are the most difficult to count.

Increase in people living in temporary accommodation

The proportion of those living in temporary accommodation increased 63.7 percent in 2023 compared with 2018, from 17.1 to 28.0 people per 10,000. This reflects the shift between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses to support people into emergency and transitional housing - which was accelerated in early 2020 in response to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Small decrease in people sharing private dwellings

There were fewer people sharing someone else's private dwelling (50.3 people per 10,000 in 2023, compared with 59.1 per 10,000 in 2018). This decrease is only clear for the 15-to-29-year age group, meaning it's likely due to improved quality in the 2023 Census, with its improved family information.

More people in uninhabitable housing

The proportion of those living in uninhabitable housing - the largest category of severe housing deprivation - increased 7.4 percent.

Over 12,500 tamariki Māori estimated to be experiencing severe housing deprivation

At the time of the 2023 Census, 34,557 people in the census usually resident population with Māori ethnicity (394.0 per 10,000 Māori) were estimated to be severely housing deprived. Over one-third of these were tamariki under 15 years (12,636 children). For tamariki Māori who were experiencing severe housing deprivation, living in uninhabitable housing was the most common living situation, affecting 61.5 percent of tamariki under 15 who were estimated to be severely housing deprived.

Māori made up 84.0 percent of those experiencing severe housing deprivation in the Gisborne region, and 61.4 percent of those in the Northland region. These areas were significantly affected by Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle, and heavy rain events in early 2023.

Over 11,000 Pacific children estimated to be severely housing deprived

At the time of the 2023 Census, 28,779 Pacific peoples in the census usually resident population were estimated to be severely housing deprived (657.3 per 10,000 Pacific peoples). Nearly three-quarters of these (72.4 percent) were living in Auckland.

Over one-third (38.6 percent) of the Pacific peoples estimated to be severely housing deprived were children under 15 years (11,115 children). Most of these were living in uninhabitable housing or sharing someone else's private dwelling.

"We know that safe, secure, and healthy housing is important for children's health and development. These statistics show that Pacific and Māori children experience higher rates of severe housing deprivation," Goodyear said.

High rates of young people in temporary accommodation

At the time of the 2023 Census, 27,351 usual residents aged 15 to 29 were estimated to be severely housing deprived. Nearly half (46.4 percent) of these were living in temporary accommodation (3,453 people) or sharing someone else's private dwelling (9,240 people) at the time of the 2023 Census.

Young women were more likely than other genders to be sharing someone else's private dwelling (107.8 per 10,000 women aged 15 to 29) or living in uninhabitable housing (167.3 per 10,000).

"Young people with a gender other than male or female were overrepresented in the most precarious homeless situations. They were more likely than young men and women to be living without shelter and in temporary accommodation," Goodyear said.

The rates of those aged 15 to 29 living without shelter were:

• 17.3 per 10,000 people of another gender
• 5.7 per 10,000 women
• 5.4 per 10,000 men.

The rate of young people of another gender living in temporary accommodation was 40.4 per 10,000.

LGBTIQ+ severe housing deprivation figures available for the first time

2023 Census was the first time severe housing deprivation estimates have been able to be produced from census data for LGBTIQ+, or Rainbow, communities.

At the time of the 2023 Census, 4,413 people in the LGBTIQ+ population (260.9 per 10,000 LGBTIQ+ aged 15 and over) were estimated to be living in severe housing deprivation (compared with 212.1 per 10,000 people aged 15 and over who are not LGBTIQ+). The LGBTIQ+ population had higher proportions of people affected across all categories of homelessness.

The intersectionality of ethnicity and Rainbow communities highlights differences in disparities:

• LGBTIQ+ Pacific peoples had the highest estimated proportion of severe housing deprivation across ethnic groups, at 669.1 per 10,000 LGBTIQ+ Pacific peoples.
• People with Māori ethnicity who were also LGBTIQ+ were particularly likely to be living in temporary accommodation or without shelter (100.6 per 10,000 LGBTIQ+ Māori aged 15 years and over).

When looking at severe housing deprivation by age for people in Rainbow communities, those aged 65 years and over were more likely to be severely housing deprived. They had the highest proportion in uninhabitable housing (244.2 per 10,000 LGBTIQ+ aged 65 and over) and in temporary accommodation or without shelter (73.3 per 10,000 LGBTIQ+ aged 65 and over).

LGBTIQ+ people aged 15 to 29 were more likely than those in other age groups to be sharing someone else's private dwelling (77.7 per 10,000 LGBTIQ+ aged 15 to 29).