Acknowledgments and content warning In September 2022 the Human Rights Commission’s Housing Inquiry issued a public call asking those with experience of the emergency housing system to contact us and share their perspectives. Some of the themes discussed may be distressing to readers. This report includes discussion of trauma, physical and sexual violence, racism and abuse, alcohol and drug use and addiction, and mental health distress including suicidal thoughts. We deeply appreciate the time and effort of everyone who shared their stories and perspectives with us as part of our Inquiry. We thank government officials for their engagement, insight, and advice on how this complex system operates. We commend their dedication and hard work in progressing a housing system that meets the needs of everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand. We also commend the lifesaving work being done by housing and social service providers, community organisations, hapū and iwi, and housing advocates. We acknowledge the pain of many who spoke to us, and their feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. We also acknowledge the resilience of those who are surviving in emergency housing despite sometimes appalling conditions. We see clearly that many feel lost or forgotten in a system that does not care about their situation. Many people who contacted us expressed frustration that government agencies and advocates had ignored their complaints. Some also indicated their expectation that we would be no different, but shared their stories despite this, in the hope someone was listening. This report outlines the themes we heard from those who contributed and includes a range of illustrative direct quotes. All quotes have been included only with the explicit consent of those quoted. In some instances, details such as gender, region, or family details have been changed to prevent inadvertent identification. We hope this report will provide some sense they have been heard and reinforce their right to expect better. The emergency housing system gives rise to some technical language. By way of support and assistance, some of these terms are set out in an Appendix Glossary with brief explanations (at page 64). 6 Human Rights Commission