Auckland City Mission 'heartened' by extra $54 million to tackle homelessness

An extra 54 million dollars on fresh initiatives to tackle homelessness is being welcomed - but those working with the homeless say the lack of housing remains the biggest barrier to solving the problem. New Zealand currently holds the worst homelessness rate in the OECD and the Auckland Council says just over half of the nation's homeless on the streets of Auckland. Yesterday, the Associate Minister of Housing Kris Faafoi and Minister of Social Development Carmel Sepuloni announced a funding package to help those at risk of becoming homeless to stay in their houses and receive support. Over the next four years, 31 million dollars will fund 67 intensive case managers, while a further 16 million dollars will be used for increased social services. Chris Farrelly is the CEO of the Auckland City Mission and joins us now