The National Party says it's a moral disgrace people are staying longer and longer in emergency housing, and the taxpayer bill just keeps getting bigger.
Information given to MP Chris Bishop shows the average stay blew out from three weeks in 2018 to now more than 20 weeks*, with some stays lasting more than two years.
More than a billion dollars has now been paid out since 2017.
Bishop spoke to Guyon Espiner.
* The number initially quoted for this interview has been updated to reflect more accurate figures
