Homeless people living rough and struggling with their mental health. Families facing eviction because they can’t pay their rent and pensioners who can’t live on superannuation. Those who have been scammed and terminally ill people who want to clear their debt before they die. These are just some of the scenarios Bay Financial Mentors has dealt with this year - and it is not alone as other social services are seeing a spike in people needing help. Carmen Hall reports.

“We are seeing an increase in tension in the community, people are feeling stressed, and many are struggling. It has been a tough year for so many.”

That’s how Bay Financial Mentors manager Shirley McCombe describes the lives of the clients the service has helped in 2023 as demand for help soars.

It comes after NZME reported earlier this month that food prices had climbed steadily since March 2021 as New Zealanders grappled with a cost-of-living crisis. The latest data from Stats NZ showed food prices are 6 per cent higher than they were a year ago.

“All providers we talk to are seeing an increase in people seeking support, especially for food. They are seeing professional people, families with dual incomes, and others who have never accessed social services, seeking help.”

Bay Financial Mentors manager Shirley McCombe. Photo / Alex Cairns

Those who have sought help

No two situations were ever alike, McCombe said.

“We see people who are homeless, living rough, and struggling with their mental health. We see people in retirement who cannot make ends meet on their superannuation. We see families facing eviction because they cannot afford their rent.

“We see people who are ill, perhaps terminally ill, wanting to address debt so that they leave their family in the best position possible. We see people who have been scammed and people who have taken on debt that is consuming their lives.”

McCombe said it also has clients “who simply can’t keep up with the rising cost of living”.

“It is huge for our clients. Many struggled before the cost of living crisis and it impacts every aspect of their lives because it is not just food, it is petrol, rent, mortgage rates, services, electricity, insurance.”

‘Don’t stick your head in the sand’

Get help, you are not alone, McCombe said.

“The sooner we get involved, the sooner you can start taking control and the better you will feel. Don’t stick your head in the sand.”

She said Bay Financial Mentors had worked very hard to break down the barriers to engagement and now the majority of referrals were either from other social services or self-referrals.

“Success is a great advertising tool. When clients tell others how we have helped, how they felt, how they were supported and not judged, they feel more confident to come forward.

“People are amazed at the service they receive and that it is completely free.”

Poor financial wellbeing undermines every element of wellbeing, including the physical, spiritual, mental/emotional and family/social aspects, she said.

Tauranga Community Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin. Photo / Alex Cairns

‘Marked increase in need’

Tauranga Community Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin said the financial mentoring Bay Financial Mentors provide was vital to people’s success and wellbeing.

“When someone is connected and working with one of the financial mentors, they are able to be referred to us for food support as often as their situation requires. They also have the option of using the Foodbank store where they can choose the foods that they need.”

She said 2023 had been another year of constant change at the foodbank.

“There has been a marked increase in need, and a lot of people who have never required food support before have needed to reach out. The housing crisis seems to have worsened and this continues to have a huge impact on people’s financial situations.

“Even worse when there is just nowhere for people to live.”

On the positive side, the foodbank had continued to improve the nutritional quality of the food provided. .

‘Shocking’ when income not meeting rent

Goodwin said even with two incomes, if one entire income was paying for housing “the budget is super tight”.

“Many people who live on their own are finding themselves homeless and there isn’t enough emergency accommodation, so they often miss out and end up living in their cars. I find it shocking that many people are in the situation where their income is not even meeting the cost of rent.”

She said many people who were reliant on New Zealand Superannuation for their income were struggling to buy food every second week.

“This is both homeowners and people renting.”

Demand up 29 per cent

In the past 12 months the foodbank had provided at least four days of food for 8235 households and 20 per cent of those households are working with Bay Financial Mentors, Goodwin said.

“This is an increase of 29 per cent compared to the previous 12 months. I would like to see better, more affordable housing opportunities available for people in 2024.

“Both for families and people living alone. We would like to take opportunities to partner with others and work further towards providing food security for our city.”

Ngāi Te Rangi chief executive Paora Stanley. Photo / Alex Cairns

‘Waiting list and backlog’ for social services

Ngāi Te Rangi chief executive Paora Stanley said for the first time it had a “waiting list and backlog” for its social services.

He said the problem was since Covid, people were presenting with multiple issues.

“In the past, it would be people who couldn’t afford food or housing. Now it’s often integrated with mental health, money, domestic violence ... it’s all coming in at once.

“For the first time we have a waiting list for our programmes and the intensity of what you have to deal with is quite different.”

Carmen Hall is a news director for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, covering business and general news. She has been a Voyager Media Awards winner and a journalist for 25 years.