Everyone Deserves A Home

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The sentiment angers me that homelessness in New Zealand isn't real, or that the people experiencing homelessness shouldn't receive help because there are more services in Aotearoa than in places like Chicago (where I have lived and worked for over 20 years).

Homelessness is real wherever someone lives. As I've met many of Waitakere's rough sleepers, as I've heard their stories, as I've seen their deteriorating health, I know the struggle is real. The pain is real. The trauma is real. I see the harm being done!
I have also seen and helped people move off the street and go into a home. I've seen the elation of having a bed, warmth, and a toilet. I've seen their health improve. I see the reduction of harm.
Yesterday, I spoke to an elderly gentleman we helped a couple of months ago. He was sleeping in his van and often struggled to breathe. He caught pneumonia and was hospitalized. He is now in his own place and that roof over his head has worked wonders. Even though he's in his mid-60s, he looks like a new man, and he looks healthy, he is healthy!
Everyone deserves a home! Let compassion rule. Be merciful. May our love spread to those around us.



Location: Glen Eden, Auckland, New Zealand

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