The Prime Minister hit the Hamilton West campaign train on Thursday with her by-election candidate.
They spent the day celebrating housing achievements. But Newshub can reveal the city is faring worse than average when it comes to emergency housing, with nearly 700 children living in motels in the city.
Hamilton West welcomed the Prime Minister with open clouds and she sung her Government's praises for building transitional housing.
"It’s a great place to bring up your kids," she said. "Of course that brings pressure on housing."
You can say that again, 10 minutes up the road and the city's homelessness problem is hiding in plain sight. Ulster St is lined with emergency motels.
"There is a high concentration in one part of Hamilton that is not desirable," Ardern said.
Glennis te Moananui invited Newshub into the room she shares with her three teenage sons. She’s been there for five months and counting.
"We’re comfortable and we have to make do with what we’ve got," she said.
Figures provided exclusively to Newshub show across the country long stays are increasing. The national average for people staying in motels is about 22 weeks, but in Hamilton, the average stay is 28 weeks. For Hamilton families with children, it's 33 weeks - more than six months - and that’s the average.
Asked if she feels let down by the Government, the emergency housing tenant says: "Yes, of course I do".
Housing Minister Megan Woods was also in Hamilton on Thursday. She said she's never been to Ulster St, but she has been to a number of emergency motels in other parts of the country.
At the end of September, 1047 Hamilton households were staying in emergency accommodation and among them are 693 children.
"We are building rapidly but there is extra demand in this city that we need to meet," said Ardern.
National's housing spokesperson Chris Bishop said it's a "ticking timebomb".
"I don't think it's any surprise that Hamilton is also the ram-raid capital of New Zealand. It's a social and economic disaster."
Glennis has one simple message: "House our people, house our people…there’s nothing more to say about that."
It's something to reflect on as the politicians count down to the Hamilton West by-election on December 10.
