Black Jack a life a lived

FTS Aotearoa Media

‘Blackjack – A Life Lived, and the Lives Too Often Overlooked’

By FTS Aotearoa Media

From Violence to Survival

He sat quietly under the long shadow of the Sky Tower, rolling a cigarette as the last light faded. His name is Blackjack — not the casino game, but a man whose life has been dealt harsh cards. His story is raw, personal, and emblematic of a crisis unfolding across Auckland and New Zealand.

Blackjack is the eldest son of a family torn by violence and gang-ties. He remembers the day his father, a man whose hands had known violence, stood over his mother. The words he uttered — ‘you’re next, boy’ — left a mark that shaped the rest of his life.

At 17 he pulled a trigger. At 18 he was sentenced to a decade behind bars. Behind prison doors, he endured daily beatings from the gang his father once associated with. Ten years. Time to reflect. Time to survive. Then the door opened.

Three days after his release, his mother — who had held on through beatings, cancer, and fear — passed away in his arms. The man who had defined his past now sat in a wheelchair, crippled, a shadow of a father. Blackjack brought a loaded gun to that final meeting, but walked away in silence. That moment marked his rebirth.

A Wider Reality: Homelessness in Aotearoa

Blackjack’s journey mirrors a broader reality: a growing number of New Zealanders living without stable shelter. According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), over 112,000 people were ‘severely housing deprived’ in 2023 — about 2.3% of the population.

In Auckland, rough sleeping rose from approximately 426 in September 2024 to over 650 by January 2025 — a 53% increase in four months. The 2018 Indicators of Homelessness report found that 43.9% of New Zealand’s severely housing deprived people live in the Auckland region.

Māori remain disproportionately represented among those experiencing homelessness. Advocacy groups warn that while emergency housing numbers may drop, many individuals simply return to the streets once their stay ends.

Why This Crisis Matters

Homelessness is not just about lacking a roof. It is about exclusion, loss of dignity, and stunted potential. For Blackjack, trauma, prison, and the death of his mother all feed into a story of survival and resilience.

Behind every statistic is a person — the young mother sharing a motel room, the elderly man sleeping in his car, the father separated from his children. Auckland’s skyline glitters, but beneath it the number of people without homes continues to grow.

From the Street: A Glimpse of Hope

Meeting Blackjack changes perspectives. Sitting with him, sharing music and stories under the open sky, reveals a wisdom born of hardship. ‘Ten years is a long time,’ he says softly. ‘Not many walk away after that — but I did.’

His turning point wasn’t a rescue, but a revelation. Music, companionship, and storytelling became his means to reconnect — to find beauty amid the struggle.

What Needs to Happen

• Increase the supply of public and social housing.
• Provide faster pathways from emergency to permanent homes.
• Targeted support for those exiting prison and facing trauma.
• Culturally responsive services for Māori and Pacific peoples.
• Outreach and platforms for lived experience — like Blackjack’s — to guide policy.

Looking Ahead

This article is one story among thousands. Blackjack reminds us that homelessness is not outside society — it’s part of it. His journey continues; the streets remain his home for now, but his music and humanity echo beyond them.

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