Latest news with #Census2023
Otago Daily Times
23-07-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Homelessness increases but by how much is unclear
By Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira of RNZ Homelessness has increased, but by how much is unclear, according to a government report. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development's latest Homelessness Insights Report relies on data collected in Census 2023, observations collected from government agencies, councils and the sector, and found homelessness had increased, but it was impossible to quantify the exact increase. The report defines homelessness as living situations where people are forced to live; without shelter, in temporary accommodation, shared accommodation with a household or living in uninhabitable housing. It also looked into what support people receive 60 days after they exited emergency housing. Thirty-seven percent were housed in social housing, 29 percent went into transitional housing, 19 percent received the accommodation supplement and the remaining 14 percent may be living without shelter, although that cannot be confirmed. From May 2024 to March 2025, 972 households were housed through the Priority One Fast Track, including 2055 children, the report said. In March, 32 percent of applications for emergency housing were declined, up 4 percent from the previous year. The reasons people were declined include: 'The need can be met another way' (34.3 percent), 'Circumstances could have been reasonably foreseen' (22.5 percent), 'Not eligible for a grant' (16.7 percent) and 'Not an emergency situation' (14.7 percent). In Auckland, outreach providers reported they were working with 809 "unsheltered" clients, up from 426 in September 2024. Whangārei District Council has seen an increase in the number of public reports related to homelessness from 680 in 2023 to 1066 in 2024. The report said at the current rate, they are forecast to reach over 1200 reports in 2025. In a statement, Housing Minister Chris Bishop said the report confirmed what frontline organisations like the Auckland City Mission and Salvation Army had been saying: there are too many people in housing need. "Accurate numbers are difficult to pin down - people without shelter often move around and may avoid engaging with government services - but it's clear we have a real problem." he said. "The government takes this seriously. At present, over $550 million is spent annually across a range of programmes run by multiple agencies, including Transitional Housing, Housing First, Rapid Rehousing and many other support services." Census data between 2018 and 2023 period showed a 37 percent increase of people living without shelter, despite the use of Emergency Housing. Speaking to media, Green Party spokesperson for Housing Tamatha Paul said this confirms what many on the ground are saying. "Although the data might be inconclusive altogether, it does in part confirm what we are seeing on the ground, what frontline workers are seeing on the ground, and what people are saying when they're trying to access emergency housing," she said. "I'm glad that there's some more transparency around what we are seeing, and that there is information in that briefing that says this government intentionally ignored advice that their decision would make homelessness worse." Paul said a faster than expected drop in emergency housing numbers was to blame. "Now we know that the cruelty and the misery that underlined and underpinned that rapid decrease in emergency housing numbers also aligns with an increase in homelessness," Paul said. Speaking to media, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka said there was a range of support available for people who were declined emergency housing. "That could be through housing support products like tenancy cover, bond cover, all sorts of things. It could be in transitional housing or Housing First," he said. Potaka said he was confident there was support for many people who had been declined, but admitted he was unsure sure of "100 percent" of those people would get support. In a statement, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said the most significant jumps were in smaller cities. "In Taranaki, homelessness increased by 250 percent in just six months, and Whangārei is forecast to see 1200 reports of people who are homeless this year - in a population that is under 100,000 people" he said. "We have known homelessness has been rising since National came into government but Christopher Luxon, Chris Bishop and Tama Potaka have consistently denied it, ignoring everyone who gave them advice to the contrary." McAnulty said the rise in homelessness followed government decisions making it harder to access emergency housing.
Business Recorder
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- Business Recorder
‘I had to skip work again': Karachiites struggle with Ajrak number plates process
KARACHI: Muhammad Jamal bought his Alto in 2022 through a bank loan, expecting the excitement of car ownership to be matched with smooth formalities. But three years later, he still doesn't have an Excise-issued number plate. 'I don't even know if the plate will be delivered to me or to the bank,' said Jamal, frustrated. With his original documents locked with the bank until the loan matures, and the Excise office requiring those same papers to issue the plate, Jamal finds himself at a bureaucratic dead end. He's not alone. Across Karachi, from business owners to delivery riders, ordinary citizens are caught in the confusion and delay caused by the Sindh government's drive to replace old number plates with new, Ajrak-themed ones. While officials argue the move is part of a broader Safe City initiative, people say the process has been anything but safe or smooth. Here's how to apply for new Ajrak design number plates online Umair Alam, an entrepreneur, also took his car out of the showroom in 2022 and registered it soon after. Since then, he's heard little more than what he called 'broken promises'. 'They told me the number plate would come by April 2025. Then in May, I followed up, and now they're saying July,' he told Business Recorder. Alam paid for registration once, but when the government introduced the Ajrak plates mid-process, he was told to pay again. Abid Hussain, a delivery boy who had come to the Excise office to apply for a number plate, said that was his second visit to the office. 'I had to skip work again, but I couldn't apply today either due heavy rush,' he lamented. On the other hand, Muhammad Qaiser, a private employee, told Business Recorder that he had preferred to apply online. 'However, after applying online, I neither received a payment confirmation SMS nor any information about when the number plate will be delivered,' he said. Qaiser said the tracking ID was only showing whether the plate had been printed or delivered. 'It does not specify when it will actually be received.' He added that there was no home delivery option available for online payments. 'At one point, I saw a courier option, but when I clicked it, it turned out to be invalid.' Two office for a population of over 20 million Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, has a population of around 20.3 million as per Census 2023. Yet, currently there are only two Excise offices - one at Hassan Square and the other in Clifton - to offer services related to vehicles registration and new number plates. Number plates with Ajrak design: only Excise-issued plates are valid, says minister When the scribe visited one of the two offices, several people were seen complaining about the shortage of counters and staff. They said establishing only two registration offices for such a large city was 'incomprehensible' and imposing a strict deadline on top of it was 'irrational'. The citizens called for an increase in the number of registration offices and an extension of the August 14 deadline. Agents were also seen taking advantage of people's plight outside the Excise Office. The scribe, not disclosing the identity, asked an agent standing outside the office how much he would charge to get the number plate work done. The agent responded that it would cost Rs10,000 for a car and Rs7,000 for a bike, with a delivery time of one to one and a half months. Meanwhile, not far from Excise offices, local shops continued to make duplicate number plates despite Sindh Excise and Taxation minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla's warning that only Excise offices could issue the new Ajrak design number plates and those issued by outside agents or shops would not be considered valid. A local craftsman who makes duplicate number plates told Business Recorder that most of his customers were students or delivery riders. According to the craftsman, people believe that police enforcement is limited to major roads, while students mostly ride their bikes in neighborhoods, so they prefer duplicate plates. He also mentioned that a duplicate plate for a bike costs around Rs500 to Rs600, whereas the official excise plate costs nearly Rs2,000. 'Due to limited financial resources and time, riders opt for duplicate plates.' Why new Ajrak design number plates? Earlier this month, Excise minister Chawla, explaining why Ajrak number plates were important, said the Safe City Project could not succeed until the security-enhanced number plates issued by the government were fully implemented. Talking to Business Recorder then, the minister ruled out the use of old or the number plate manufactured in open market/shops. Sindh extends deadline for Ajrak number plates until August 14 Emphasising the use of Ajrak number plates, the minister described the features of the number plate adding that the plates included threads in the background, 3D holograms, and barcodes. The Safe City cameras would also be able to read the plate number in night, he added. Chawla stated that the excise department had launched three different colored number plates: white plates for private vehicles and bikes, yellow plates for commercial vehicles, and green plates for government vehicles. He mentioned that the fee for vehicle number plates—whether government or commercial—was set at Rs2,450, and Rs1,850 for two wheelers.
RNZ News
24-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Thousands of over-65s earn more than $200,000 - should they get NZ Super?
Photo: 123RF More than 9000 people aged over 65 earn more than $200,000 a year, and another 33,000 earn between $100,000 and $200,000 - and the Retirement Commissioner says it's fair to question whether they should be able to claim NZ Super as well. The data comes from the 2023 Census. The number earning between $150,000 and $200,000 has decreased from 2018 but the number earning between $100,000 and $150,000 has lifted by 10,000. The Census also showed that the number of people over 65 still in the workforce had increased. Just over 24 percent of people aged over 65 were in work, up from 22.1 percent in 2013. The biggest increase was among people aged 70 to 74. Retirement Commissioner Jane Wrightson is opposed to putting the age of eligibility for NZ Super. She said if there were questions about the cost or fairness of the scheme, they needed to be addressed with a package of measures. Retirement Commissioner Jane Wrightson. Photo: supplied "Then you absolutely have to look at means-testing again . It's really unpopular but it would be improper if we didn't look at all the sensible options if the goal is to reduce the cost to the state." She said the problem to be solved needed to be defined and then the possible solutions assessed. "Means testing is absolutely one of those options but politicians run away from it because it's got a pretty ugly history and it does make it a more complex system. There's no doubt about it, people will start arranging their affairs and start avoiding tax and all that kind of stuff. "But if you boil it down to a very simple thing - is it right that someone earning over $180,000 or $200,000 - I think $180,000 is probably about the mark because that's when the tax rates go up - is it right that people out there earning over $180,000 can also acquire Super, it's an extremely good question." She said it would be easy to capture the earnings of people being paid a salary while receiving NZ Super but much harder to assess other income. "It's both complicated and it's easy. The easiest thing is to leave well alone. The next easiest thing is to just put the age up but that is too easy because there is harm attached to that…. So that's what I'm talking about when I say please could we have a package if we do any system change at all and can we please stop talking about this as single issue?" She said there should be a cross-party political conversation to determine a path forward. University of Auckland associate professor Susan St John. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly University of Auckland associate professor Susan St John earlier outlined a plan to treat NZ Super as a tax-free basic income grant and put recipients on a higher tax rate. She said it would be a better option that the age of eligibility or the amount paid. It would create a situation where there was a break-even point beyond which people would be better off, on a net basis, not claiming NZ Super and instead being taxed at standard rates. She said the tax scales she had modelled were less harsh than the abatement that applied to people receiving a benefit. The government has introduced parental income tests for young people receiving the JobSeeker benefit and will restrict access to the member tax credit in KiwiSaver to those who earn more than $180,000. St John said the reason that similar moves weren't made on NZ Super might reflect historical attitudes towards the "deserving and undeserving". She said NZ Super was effectively income-tested through the tax system because people who were earning other income would pay higher rates of tax. "Just far less draconian than the clawbacks for children with Working for Families and adults in the benefit system." Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub said means and income testing in Australia meant that only about 60 percent of the population would qualify for the pension. If that were true in New Zealand, it could save about $9b a year. There are 74,850 people aged 30 to 64 earning more than $200,000. The median income for people aged over 65 is $26,600. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Census 2024 population estimates for the Chicago area: Did your city, town or village gain or lose residents?
Chicago posts 7th largest population increase in nation, part of a growth spurt that also lifted many suburbs Suburban Cook County biggest area population loser in recent years, census estimates show Census 2023 population estimates for the Chicago area: Did your city, town or village gain or lose residents? More than 2.7 million people called Chicago home in 2024, according to the latest census numbers. That's a decrease of 27,023 residents since April 1, 2020, but an increase of 22,164 people since 2023. Chicago retained its position as the nation's third most populous city, after New York and Los Angeles, in 2024. Houston was ranked fourth. And with more than 22,000 people moving into the city since the previous year, Chicago was in the Top 10 places in the U.S. for numeric growth. Since 2020, Cook County as a whole has lost 96,000 people, or 1.8% of its population, which was almost 5.2 million in 2024. Meanwhile its collar counties gained residents. Kendall County saw the largest increase in the state — more than 11,300 people have moved there since 2020, which is an 8.6% increase in population. Far southwest suburbs continue to grow, as was the case in 2023. Some suburbs in Cook County continue to lose residents, as was the case last year. How did things change in your area? Here's a look at 2024 population estimates for cities, towns and villages in Cook County and other Chicago-area counties. Sources: U.S. Census; Tribune reporting
NZ Herald
27-04-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Workers in Northland struggle as wages lag behind living costs
Megan Hepi, who has worked in social services in Kaikohe for seven years helping whānau get jobs and access to services, said people were struggling on very low wages. 'People are working their hearts out. 'Everything has gone up - rent, food, everything - but wages haven't. 'They're living in situations that are not ideal ... unhealthy and unstable situations.' Hepi said it was whakama [embarrassing] for people to talk about having to move back with parents, with whānau, or seek alternative living arrangements. 'I've seen people who have worked all their lives forced to move into temporary accommodation.' The Northern Advocate recently revealed that landlords are exiting Northland's property market due to rising costs, while tenants are struggling to find affordable homes to rent. The median rent is now $585 a week in Northland. Hepi, now an independent contractor, said one woman on a sickness benefit pays $450 a week for a tiny flat, leaving her with $140 to scrape by. Some days, she can't afford food or to keep the lights on at night, Hepi said, and she has even resorted to asking strangers and friends for money. Hepi said many people don't have a driver's licence or cars, and getting jobs in nearby towns comes with hefty travel costs. 'It's extremely hard for some whānau here to get ahead.' Northland's population is now 194,007, 8.3% more people than 2018, according to Census 2023. About 89,520 people are in work. The top industries are construction, healthcare, retail, agriculture, forestry, fishing, education, and manufacturing. Only 11% of those working earn $70,001 to $100,000. Of the working population, 15% earn between $50,001 and $70,000, and a whopping 66% earn $50,000 or less. Why is Northland's median income so low? Infometrics principal economist and lead demographer Nick Brunsdon said the $33,100 takes into account income from everyone over the age of 15. That's a whole bunch of people in different circumstances, Brunsdon said. They include retirees on New Zealand Super, which is $20,000 each for couples and $32,000 for singles. Another category which makes up 6% of the figure, is no income at all. For example, 16-year-old high school students. 'There's quite a few people in those situations where they've got low income per person,' Brunsdon said. 'Job seekers are probably on around $20k or lower – in that situation that brings down the median.' Brunsdon said the percentage of people on unemployment benefits - including jobseekers, sole parents, and supported living - is higher in Northland: 29% compared to 20% nationally. Northland consistently has the highest proportion of its population on unemployment benefits. According to the Ministry of Social Development, 11% of Northland's working age population – that's 12,327 people - were receiving Jobseeker Support in February. Advertise with NZME. That's significantly more than the next-highest region, Gisborne, which was 9.4%. Brunsdon said another factor bringing down Northland's median income was that people who are in work earn about 12% less than the national average. While he couldn't pinpoint what types of jobs this relates to: 'We do know the nature of Northland's economy is more reliant on lower paying industries'. 'At the other end of the scale, Auckland and Wellington have a lot more higher paying industries like professional services, government, and finance.' Kaitāia Family Budgeting Services senior financial mentor Tania Sneddon said: 'The struggle is real'. Sneddon said there had been 'a huge increase' in KiwiSaver hardship applications, along with Good Shepherd loans aimed at helping people on limited incomes pay for essentials that improve their quality of life. 'There is no answer at the moment,' Sneddon said. 'The working poor are up there, the beneficiaries are there, but they have the option of asking for assistance. 'It's harder for the working poor purely because they may not be eligible for a loan or have family to help them.' Sneddon said some people were using Afterpay to buy essential items like petrol, food, and pet food. Her advice to struggling Northlanders is: 'Come and see us'. 'We're here to teach people to do this for themselves. 'We have people whose power is about to be disconnected, or their car dispossessed. 'The minute they start struggling, they should come and see us; it could be a simple conversation. We're here to help.' Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with finance, roading, lifestyle, and animal welfare issues.
