Housing and food security are big issues in Mid Canterbury, Salvation Army Ashburton corps officer Lieutenant Elizabeth Walker-Ratu says.
She was responding to nationwide concerns highlighted in the Te Ope Whakaora Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report.
The report focuses on food, warm and affordable accommodation, and healthy relationships.
It has highlighted child poverty, violence against children, mental health pressures on young people, rising unemployment, and declining educational achievement.
On a positive note, youth offending has decreased and there is a growing number of children undertaking early childhood education.
Over a year, nationally the service has see more than 135,000 vulnerable people, including about 300 in Mid Canterbury.
Walker-Ratu said the Ashburton service was seeing an increase in hard working people needing the occasional assistance due to when bills need to be paid.
Generally, January was a quieter time for the Ashburton service.
‘‘This year we have started with a big increase in requests for assistance. This concerns us because if that is what is like now, what will it be like in our busy period when increases in rates, power, etcetera, come in,’’ Walker-Ratu said.
While an increase in housing available in Mid Canterbury had assisted those needing accommodation, rental prices had increased and the service was aware of many couch surfing and temporarily living in their cars.
‘‘In some cases it’s not a lack of housing preventing them from having somewhere to live. It could be because of the choices they make including not being ideal tenants.’’
Last year the Ashburton corp was awarded Mid Canterbury’s budget advice contract.
The service is kept busy with a cross section of clients.
‘‘Having the budget service here alongside the foodbank and other services means we can immediately get on with helping clients.’’
