New Zealand Ghettos aka Social Housing
A huge amount of men in New Zealand are in need of community support, i.e., social housing, foodbanks, etc, etc, and I think that many men become aware, i.e., swallow the red pill, when they reach out for community support and find it non-existent or lacking.
Back in 2007, when still investigating this site & men’s issues as part of my community journey, I met a 1970s MRA ‘Men’s Rights Advocate’ who was flying to America to receive an award from the United Nations for his community work. He had given up hope after 4 decades while today, he is actively delivering food for the city mission (or similar) for which, he said, ‘everyday, men were clients’. Around the same time I began taking phone calls from men and my first was a single father in need of social housing.
As I study urban development, I can’t help but see the America Ghettos we are creating and how social housing is damned for its very difficult to lobby 16 separate governing bodies in Auckland. (National government, Auckland Council, and 14 separate iwis (co-governments).
For example, Manukau’s development includes a neighbourhood where 1180 new homes will replace 380 existing Housing New Zealand homes, 400 new homes will be built across the road on the District Health Board site, at least 200 homes will be built at the Barrowcliffe site across a motorway bridge and 90 homes will be built on a 1 heactare settlement site.
5 storey apartment buildings and terraces are being built among elderly retirement villages and will be sold to investors to rent to individuals and families who can’t afford existing rents in Auckland such as existing social housing clients whose rents rise to market rent as they get a job. They can’t afford to live in market-social housing and once in those homes, they won’t be able to leave.
Same and similar developments around the world are reporting the crime, gangs, drugs and violence within these social development housing.
Here are links to similar developments around the world.
Crime in the community: when ‘designer’ social housing goes wrong.
Big spike in bill for ridding state houses of meth in just one year
Below are quotes from the Panuka link.
GOVERNANCE – Establish a strong, inclusive and accountable governance structure that enables and mandates Panuku to deliver the vision in partnership with the community, Crown entities, mana whenua and the Council family.
REMOVE SOCIAL ASSISTANCE – Contribute to increasing and improving the social and economic well-being of the local area’s people, businesses and communities to unlock economic potential and reduce social assistance needs.
WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO? Your comments welcome. 🙂
Perhaps home ownership? After all, there is no middle class in the west anymore.
My feeling is that disadvantaged men will fall in to two groups.
Incapable of self reliance: destined to live in various city facilities.
Self-reliant, and although homeless will band together to live in various locations.
I heard recently that there is a large group of street dwellers who have made Nelson their home. They have a back pack, gas cooker, and a few essentials, but do little more than graze at the supermarket.
I imagine some of the warmer coastal centres, perhaps Napier and the Bay of Islands will experience the same scenario.
Rather than housing projects alone it would require a substantial move in minimum incomes to stop the large numbers giving up and joining the street crowd, who will soon teach others how to survive.
Many men in their 50s and 60s will have significant training and survival skills, which could turn up some interesting situations.
Comment by Downunder — Tue 19th September 2017 @ 7:17 pm
I paid nearly three dollars, for gas today.
You do need to ask, if shutting Marsden point is wise.
That has to hurt, since it was two dollars not long ago.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/300531452/heres-what-you-need-to-be-in-new-zealands-10-per-cent-wealthiest
So this figure, and both things are imaginary.
In the value of houses, includes emotions like location or style.
Same with shares, as there is speculation.
“He said New Zealanders’ combined property wealth had increased by $460 billion over two years. People who had houses often had shares or other investments, and they had also performed strongly.”
So $230 billion a year, for five million people.
So that’s $46,000 for every man, women and child each year.
What then of our earnings, actually earned with labour.
Logic would dictate the 50% rise in gas prices, is a small cost.
Exposing devaluing money, ironically called inflation.
Maybe nobody, actually got richer.
…………….
To not have a property crash, of substance.
Inflation must devalue the imaginary value, of the asset.
Increasing interest rates slowly may not work, with high inflation.
Things can be quite stable, if people hold on to homes.
As the wealthy will like physical assets more, demand may outstrip supply.
If you cannot meet your inflation obligations, what must you keep stable.
Balancing things, with the intent of one thing being stable.
Certainly if nobody actually loses house value, nobody lost money.
The imaginary value, trends to a real value over time.
Comment by DJ Ward — Thu 3rd March 2022 @ 9:43 pm
What of even a small value, of the $460 billion.
Only one percent of the profits, could build ten thousand homes.
For the housing of men, in need.
A fraction could build houses, for all the homeless.
Yet we have homeless, and say we are wealthy.
Comment by DJ Ward — Thu 3rd March 2022 @ 9:55 pm