The Salvation Army's raising the alarm as living standards deteriorate across New Zealand.
Its state of the nation report's out, revealing one in four children also report they often or sometimes go without food.
It finds we have around 400 thousand needing welfare support, the highest number in decades.
Author Paul Barber told Mike Hosking the measurements are being taken to see both what’s improving and to be realistic about what’s getting worse.
He says they’ve seen a fantastic increase in the number of social housing available for those who need it, but they’ve also seen a disturbing rise in people living in the streets as emergency housing supports ended.
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The Mike Hosking Breakfast