National's latest "success story"? Homelessness in Auckland has more than doubled in the past three years:
The homeless population of central Auckland is two-and-a-half times higher than it was three years ago, a new report says.
The Auckland City Street Count of Central Auckland has found 177 people were sleeping rough within 3km of the Sky Tower on a single night this year.
That's the most recorded since the count began in 2004, and is significantly higher than the 68 people counted in the same area in 2013.
At least 51 people weren't included in the count, because they had found temporary accommodation or were in hospital that night.
The previous high was 91, in 2008; National has almost doubled that. Looking at the graph, something definitely seems to have happened between 2013 and 2014 which caused a step change in homelessness. "Reviewable tenancies" and the practice of churning state housing tenants to create the illusion of spaces, perhaps?
But no matter what the cause, this is a horrific failing on the part of the government, and one they need to be held responsible for.
