Emergency housing providers in Auckland are warning more homeless families will be sleeping rough this winter.
They say the crisis is worse this year because emergency motel units are already full and at least one marae will not be reopening its doors.
The manager of De Paul House on Auckland's North Shore, Jan Rutledge, says the Ministry of Social Development has learnt from last year and is communicating well with the sector.
But she says there's still too much demand for emergency housing in Auckland.
"I would say that the need has been underreported... people are overcrowded into existing properties with extreme overcrowding".
She spoke to our reporter Sharon Brettkelly:
