Published on 13th of November, 2025
Homelessness in Canterbury has been increasing at an alarming rate. A key reason for this is the tightening of the eligibility criteria that enables people in severe housing distress to access emergency housing. Many who would have qualified for this form of shelter in the past no longer do.
The numbers are telling: two years ago, 321 households were in emergency housing in Christchurch: 354 adults and 315 children. Now there are just 57 households in emergency
housing: 63 adults and 57 children.
But this rapid reduction does not mean that everyone at risk of homelessness has found a home. Some have moved into social housing thanks to a burst of building activity (now ended) in the social housing space. In particular, families with children have been prioritised for permanent social housing. But many have not been so fortunate. We see this in media accounts about homeless encampments and in the increasing number of people living on the streets.
At CMM there is a growing waiting list for our Housing First service which works with people who have been homeless for 12 months or more. Housing First is contracted to work with 300 individuals in Christchurch: currently we are working with 324. Our team has supported 217 of this group into housing but it is of great concern that, due to the shortage of social and affordable housing, the remaining 107 are not yet housed.
This means that these 107, along with many others who are not yet eligible for Housing First support, are doing what they can to find shelter every night: sleeping in cars, on friends’ couches, in garages and makeshift shelters, and simply on the street.
There has recently been some government recognition of the crisis. Short term funding to address it has been allocated to four main centres, including Christchurch. As a result, CMM is working with other agencies to develop a short-term service for those who have been homeless for less than 12 months.
The aim is to intervene early to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring. The team will do this through a Rapid Response Initiative. A case management approach will be taken so that every individual who is sleeping rough has a pathway into permanent housing. People who have been homeless for less than one year (and are therefore not eligible for Housing First support) will have an allocated worker to support them into permanent housing.
This initiative will help people to leave the streets and find a home. But it is not a lasting solution. For that, we urgently need increased provision of affordable quality housing. Everyone has a right to a home.
