The news came swiftly – and positively – for caravan couple Dave and Alaina Short this week. They will get a state house and, hopefully, sometime soon.

After The Weekend Sun began its investigation early last week (July 17 issue), the Ministry of Social Development bumped the family up to 'priority A” rating for a state house.

The caravan family: Alaina Short, pictured with husband Dave and their daughter Alyisha, is studying to get out of the poverty trap. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

They'd been re-assessed from having a 'serious housing need” to being 'people considered at risk – a household with 'severe and persistent housing needs that must be addressed immediately”.

'We are now working to find them a suitable home as soon as possible,” says a Housing New Zealand spokesperson.

It's 'cool” says a delightfully understated Alaina.

So after two months of being rejected by property managers and landlords, the Ministry has finally agreed they are 'a household unable to access and/or sustain suitable, adequate and affordable alternative housing”.

A state house is in sight and Alaina, a person used to disappointment and hardship, manages a modest smile. 'We have hope now,” she says.

It's been hand to mouth for the family. Alaina, Dave and their three-year-old daughter Alyisha have been cooped up in a dark, damp and cold 15ft caravan on a rented lot in Bethlehem.

Alyisha has suffered persistent colds and her mum is anaemic and pregnant once again.

'That wasn't meant to happen and I wish people wouldn't judge us for it,” says Alaina.

And while the MSD says the needs of the Short family are 'immediate”, Housing NZ could be talking a different time frame. It seems there just isn't state housing stocks in Tauranga to meet 'immediate” need.

'But homes regularly become available as customers move on from state housing,” says the Housing NZ spokesperson, 'as and when their circumstances improve,”.

According to information released to The Weekend Sun by the opposition, Tauranga 'has a relatively long state house waiting list – 139 families, 73 Priority A and 66 Priority B.”

The statement said that nationally, the average waiting time for those in urgent need was 55 days in September 2013. This had blown out to 129 days in March this year.

Labour housing spokesman Phil Twyford says Tauranga, like many towns in the regions, is in the grip of a housing crisis.

”It's negligence and it's wrong that 3000 state homes should lie vacant,” says Phil, 'and the government is preparing to sell another 8000 homes while people like the Shorts are either homeless or living in substandard conditions.

'We should be building more affordable housing and state houses.”

Meanwhile, Alaina says she was upset at some hurtful online reaction to their Weekend Sun story when it appeared on SunLive and wants to clear up some misconceptions. The baby they are expecting early next year was unplanned.

'That can happen to anyone,” she says.

And Dave's at pains to point out he doesn't waste money on tobacco. Yes, he smokes, but he grows his own.

But it should be noted for every negative message there was a kind gesture – like the man offering a cheaper park up for their caravan plus bathroom facilities.

There were offers of food and clothes from others, and a woman offering a queen-sized bed and electric blanket.

There were also offers of help from St Vincent de Paul, the Community Housing Trust and the Salvation Army.

And while they wait for a house, the Shorts are themselves clawing their way out of the poverty trap.

Dave is continuing his forestry course, which he hopes will lead to full-time employment by Christmas, while Alaina is two weeks into an introductory course in social work.

She hopes it will lead to a degree after the baby arrives, and not in a cold, damp rented caravan in Bethlehem.