Auckland Council has released new research into the city's homeless population, which has more than doubled in the city centre in the space of a year.
A count last October found 142 people sleeping rough within three kilometres of the Sky Tower, up from just 68 in 2013.
The new report says many have a history of violence, emotional abuse and neglect.
And while the public often see homelessness as a choice, many on the street have very few options as they can't access help without documents and a fixed address.
This is what running high unemployment while cutting access to benefits, state housing, and health care means: more homeless people. But why does National care about them? Its not like they're big donors like Sky City...
This is National's New Zealand: the rich slurp champagne in government-funded casinos, while the poor go homeless. It is indecent. It is wrong. And we need to change it by getting rid of this immoral government of the rich.