An interactive maze that takes people on a journey from being housed to sleeping rough will help shed light on what it is to be homeless in Auckland.

Urban artist Margaret Lewis is constructing  ‘‘Stuck in the Maze / from housed to homeless’’ as part of World Homeless Day on 10 October.

The work draws on learnings from the study ’An insight into the experience of rough sleeping in central Auckland’ which was co-launched by the Auckland City Mission, Lifewise and Auckland Council in February 2015.  

“I don’t think people realize just how close to being unhoused we all are,” says Lewis. “Sometimes it’s just one or two mortgage or rent payments away, especially for people on minimum wages. Taking a trip through this maze will help people understand just how disempowering the experience of homelessness is.”

“The idea is that there is only one way out – you are unhoused. For this project, we are hoping that different people from the homeless community will be stewards at the maze. This gives people the opportunity to share their experience of the maze with people for whom the ‘maze’ is part of everyday life.”

The maze will be built from unwanted corflute, similar to the way that different rough sleepers reuse cardboard, newspapers, vinyl and other materials for warmth and insulation at night. Lewis will also create furniture from the same material and include a small lounging area into the installation.

Working alongside Radio NFA and members of the Awhina Mai Tatou Katoa, Lewis hopes that this installation will help people to talk openly and honestly about what it is like to be homeless.

'Stuck in the Maze / from housed to homeless’ will be installed at Beresford Square on Monday 10 October 2016. People are invited to wander the maze between 10am and 4pm.

Made possible by funding from Waitematā Local Board, ‘Stuck in the Maze’ is one of the events happening in Karangahape Road during Artweek Auckland.