More stories of Auckland's hidden homeless continue to emerge -- this time a family of 21 forced to live in a small, two-bedroom home in south Auckland.

It's yet another example of New Zealand's social housing shortage, forcing other agencies and community groups to pick up the slack.

Susan Teara lives in a tiny Mangere home with her 10 kids. Her brother-in-law took them in to his already full Housing New Zealand home more than a week ago.

"There's my brother in law and his two kids, my sister, one of my cousins and her two kids," she says.

Twenty-one people now fill the small property. There's not much room to sleep -- a bed in each room, one in the lounge and the rest on mattresses.

"Even the dining room area, there's mattresses in it," says Ms Teara.

A family situation brought Ms Teara and her kids to Auckland from Kaitaia in December last year. Since then they've moved between family, the Ronald McDonald house, and WINZ-funded motels.

"I think after the third motel they said, 'You know you have to pay all this money back,' but I had no choice because I had nowhere to go. I was like, 'Yup, whatever, I'll pay it back.'"

But when the bill got too high they shifted to Women's Refuge before living in a carport and last week moving where they are now. Now the very agency she needs help from is threatening to turf them out.

"My brother-in-law has been visited by Housing New Zealand and we have been told to leave here. If we don't my brother is at risk of terminating his own tenancy," says Ms Teara.

Cases like this have forced others like Te Puea Marae in south Auckland to pick up the slack. Today it delivered a food parcel to Ms Teara's family, and has given 18 others temporary accommodation at the marae, since opening its doors on Tuesday.

But it's not only a place to stay; it's a hot meal, a kind ear, clothes and blankets that are at the ready.

Te Puea Marae says it plans to stay open till at least the end of winter. As for Ms Teara and her family, it's hoped they'll be housed in the coming weeks.

Newshub.