An international expert on homelessness believes that New Zealand could end "sleeping rough" in as little as two years.
The initiative called Housing First has been successful in places like Vancouver and New York City. Now two community groups are adopting it here.
Sistar Six chooses to sleep outside a cafe on Auckland's Karangahape Rd every night. It's rough, but she says it's safer and cleaner than the alternative – a $260-per-week lodge.
"Most of them have got bed bugs; most of them have got lice of another description," she says. "I lost count of the amount of times I caught scabies while staying in these places."
She's been sleeping rough on and off for around four years while finishing up her post-graduate degree in journalism, and she's collecting some shocking stories.
Watch the video for the full 3 News report.
