Residential and community care facilities provide supported housing for people in the community. They include dwellings such as those that provide care for people with disabilities, group homes (such as IHC group homes), and halfway houses.
Over 6,000 people in residential and community care facilities in 2013
In 2013, 6,018 people lived in 1,059 residential and community care facilities in New Zealand. More than one-quarter of people (26.9 percent) lived in the Auckland region.
Over half of those in residential and community care facilities are aged 40–64 years
More than half the people who lived in residential and community care were aged 40 to 64 years (52.7 percent). A small number were aged under 15 years. The age distribution of people who lived in these dwellings was quite different to that of the total population, with a higher concentration of people aged between 40 and 60 years.
Three-fifths of people who lived in residential and community care were male (59.3 percent), while males made up less than half (48.7 percent) of the total New Zealand population.
Figure 5
Most people living in residential and community care facilities are European
In 2013, most people who lived in residential and community care facilities identified as European (79.9 percent). This proportion was higher than that in the total population (74.0 percent).
The percentage of people who lived in these dwellings identifying as Asian was much lower than in the total population (2.5 percent, compared with 11.8 percent). The lower percentage of Asian people in residential and community care may be partly explained by the relatively high percentage of Asian people in the 20–24-year age group – an age group with relatively few people in residential and community care.
Figure 6
Longer stays common among people in residential and community care facilities
In 2013, almost one-quarter (23.6 percent) of people who lived in residential and community care had lived there for less than one year. Just over one-quarter (28.1 percent) had lived there for one to four years, and another one-quarter (25.0 percent) were longer-term residents, having lived there for five to nine years.
Most people in residential and community care facilities not partnered, never married
The majority of people aged 15 years and over who lived in residential and community care facilities were not partnered (97.0 percent). Most people living in this type of dwelling had never been married or in a civil union (87.8 percent). This proportion was much higher than that for the total New Zealand population, of whom 35.0 percent had never been married or in a civil union in 2013.
People in residential and community care facilities four times more likely to have no qualifications
In 2013, most people aged 15 years and over who lived in residential and community care facilities had no qualification (81.1 percent). This was almost four times higher than the proportion for the general population.
People who lived in these dwellings were much less likely than the general population to have achieved a bachelor’s degree and level seven qualification or higher (2.8 percent, compared with 20.0 percent of the general population).
Figure 7
Most people in residential and community care not in labour force
In 2013, the majority of people aged 15 years and over who lived in residential and community care were not in the labour force (84.9 percent). This proportion was much higher than that for adults in the total New Zealand population (32.9 percent). A small proportion of those who lived in these dwellings were working full- or part-time (12.2 percent).
Table 4
Work and labour force status(1)(2) for people in residential and community care facilities
2013 Census |
| Work and labour force status |
People living in residential and community care facilities (%) |
Total population (%) |
| Employed full-time |
5.4 |
48.0 |
| Employed part-time |
6.8 |
14.3 |
| Unemployed |
2.8 |
4.8 |
| Not in the labour force |
84.9 |
32.9 |
|
1. For people aged 15 years and over.
2. A person's work and labour force status in the seven days ending 3 March 2013.
Source: Statistics New Zealand
|
Two-thirds of people in residential and community care receive invalids benefit
The most common source of income for people who lived in residential and community care was an invalids benefit (66.0 percent). This proportion was much higher than that for the general population, of whom only 2.4 percent received an invalids benefit.
The second-most common source of income for people who lived in these dwellings was a sickness benefit (10.3 percent). This was also much higher than for the general population (2.5 percent).
Income distribution different for people in residential and community care
As would be expected with such a high proportion of residential and community care residents receiving government benefits, the income distribution was considerably different from that of the total population. Personal income for people who lived in these dwellings was concentrated in the $10,001–$20,000 category. This is consistent with their most common sources of income: invalids or sickness benefits.
Figure 8
