There aren't enough state houses, rents are rising, and add to that a pandemic, supply issues, and a huge jump in build costs - you've got a housing crisis.
It's been a perfect storm for a housing crisis that Aotearoa has already been grappling with for years.
For whānau unable to afford private rent but with no state homes to go to, it's a dire situation.
Cheyenne Denham and Mohi Gerrard have lived in a one-bedroom former motel unit in Gisborne with their six children for nearly four years. It was supposed to be transitional housing.
"It feels like we are at the bottom of society and being forgotten about," Gerrard said.
The couple is among thousands of New Zealanders now living in former motels because there is nowhere else to house them. They have tried unsuccessfully to obtain a private rental, only to be told by prospective landlords their whānau is too big.
With two teenagers and four more children under the age of ten, their unit is incredibly cramped with four beds in the living room and another three in the only bedroom.
Gerrard said he feels he's failed as a father and it breaks his heart seeing the look of sadness on the faces of his children.
The Ministry of Social Development agrees that a whānau of eight living in a one-bedroom unit is not suitable long-term accommodation.
East Coast regional commissioner Karen Barlett told The Hui that Denham and Gerrard were offered a three-bedroom transitional property in June, but they turned it down.
Denham said she did not want to live in the house offered because of gang violence in the street.
The Ministry said there is a very high demand for public housing and limited supply. It added it's particularly challenging to find public housing suitable for a family of eight, but it will continue to work with Denham and Gerrard to find them suitable accommodation.
The couple is far from alone in their struggle to find long-term housing.
As of July, there were nearly 8300 people in emergency housing nationwide, almost half of them tamariki. Emergency housing lasts for up to 21 days.
There are 5500 transitional homes, 899 of them are motels.
Whānau The Hui spoke to said they feel like they are the forgotten people. They have roofs over their heads but no place to call home.
Recently, a Gisborne family made headlines after they broke into an empty Kainga Ora house. The mother involved, Levi Williams, said her whānau had no other choice after being cooped up in what had been a motel room for more than two years.
"It was desperation and they saw the empty Kainga Ora house as an opportunity for a better future," she said.
The family was quickly ordered to leave the house because of meth contamination, but they were found another transitional house to move into.
While it took a break-in to help the Williams family, 120 Gisborne whānau remain in emergency accommodation and there are 510 transitional places in the region.
Kainga Ora said its moved 40 Gisborne families into new homes since 2020 and another 149 new homes are currently being built.
But local housing advocate Tuta Ngarimu said the crisis is so bad it would take at least another 500 homes to ease the pressure.
He told Newshub it's the worst he's ever seen and nothing appears to be changing any time soon.
"We've got these whānau, kids and babies sitting in these boxes waiting for things to happen and nothing's happened", he said.
Made with support from Te Māngai Pāho and the Public Interest Journalism Fund.
