Four parties sign commitments to prevent and end youth homelessness
Labour, the Green Party, Te Pāti Māori and the Opportunity Party have signed commitments aimed at preventing and ending youth homelessness. The commitments were signed at the country's first Youth Homelessness Summit, held in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, on Friday.
The summit was titled From Crisis to Collective Action. It brought together more than 100 housing and youth advocates and rangatahi, the Māori word for young people, including people with lived experience of the issue. The commitments were read aloud during the summit's political panel by rangatahi advocates Anaru Mihaere and Platinum. They set out six areas of action, according to RNZ.
The commitments include backing a legally recognised right to safe, stable and affordable housing for every young person. They also include supporting legislation that would stop government agencies releasing rangatahi from care, the corrections system or health services without somewhere safe to live.
The pledge calls for a national strategy to prevent and end youth homelessness, developed alongside rangatahi, Māori and Pacific communities. It also calls for sustained funding for youth housing services, regular national data on youth homelessness, and further research involving Māori and indigenous researchers.
Those who signed have committed to meeting Manaaki Rangatahi each year and reporting on their progress. Te Pāti Māori MP for Tāmaki Makaurau Oriini Kaipara had signed the pledge earlier and recommitted to it at the summit.
New Zealand First attended the summit but did not sign. Its representative, Vicky Hau, was invited to take the commitments back for further discussion. National and ACT were invited to the summit but were not represented.
