All students know just how hard it is when you’re in the midst of the Flatting Hunger Games. It can that much harder when you don’t have ID, references, or enough money for a bond.
Lifewise worked with Marie*, who had managed to save $20 of her benefit each week to get enough money together for a bond on a flat.
But when it came to applying for flats, she kept getting turned down. Landlords seemed interested when Marie first talked to them, but when they found out she was on a benefit, she never got a call back.
And there are other challenges for young people finding a flat that most of us take for granted. With no fixed address, young people can’t apply for the unemployment benefit.
Many young people also don’t have personal ID, which is required both for income support and by landlords. With no ID, and no fixed address, young people can find themselves in a No Man’s Land that is difficult to get out of.
*Names have been changed.
Lifewise and Youthline have teamed up to shine a light on the issue of youth homelessness in New Zealand to mark Youth Homelessness Matters Day 2015.
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