Tell us your housing story

Te Kāhui Tika Tangata, the Human Rights Commission, says its new housing inquiry website, “He Kāinga Rawaka, A Decent Home” (housing.hrc.co.nz) can help put human rights at the centre of government and private sector responses to the housing crisis.

"As our housing inquiry has progressed, we’ve heard some upsetting stories from people. There’s been a common thread, they don’t want others to relive what they have been through,” says Chief
Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt.

“Now, we hope to hear from many more people through our website, where people can submit their experiences and solutions for housing,” says Hunt.

The Commission is asking for people’s experiences generally and in the three topic areas of emergency and transitional housing, rental conditions, and the cultural adequacy of housing. The
experiences that people share will inform the housing inquiry’s reports and findings.

Informing about human rights and obligations

“We want to accelerate calls for an accountability mechanism for housing and to put the right to a decent home, grounded on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, at the centre of government and private sector
housing plans,” says Hunt.

The right to a decent home includes international human rights obligations that local and central government, and the private sector, must work together to fulfill. Yet very often, these duty-bearers
are not aware of their obligations.

“The public also are not always aware of the human right to a decent home, so the website can help people learn about this fundamental right that we all have,” says Hunt.

Resources for communities to advocate for change

“We are now seeing the potential for communities and groups to use the human right to a decent home as a tool for change in our housing system.

“Whether it is calling on a local council to put the human right to a decent home at the centre of local housing policy, or organising a community discussion, it is important people get involved.

“Collectively we need to find our way out of this housing crisis and prevent a future one,” says Hunt.

The website provides some basic tools – posters and an advocacy guide – to assist groups who might want to advocate for their human right to a decent home grounded on Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

ENDS