the life cycle from childhood to old age, and is alert to different scenarios, including disability. Guideline 10: All housing initiatives must comply with the seven UN ‘decency’ housing principles read with Te Tiriti o Waitangi: habitable; affordable; accessible for everyone; services, facilities and infrastructure; location; respect for cultural diversity; and security of tenure. If homes and housing initiatives do not comply with a ‘decency’ principle they are not complying with the right to a decent home, unless it can be shown that all reasonable steps have been taken to comply with the principle. (For more on ‘Obligations and Violations’, see section 4.) C. Freedoms and entitlements 53. The right to a decent home includes both freedoms (e.g. freedom from direct discrimination) and entitlements (e.g. the provision of adequate emergency housing when needed). Guideline 11: Because the right to a decent home includes freedoms, all restrictive housing laws, regulations, rules and practices must be fair, reasonable, proportionate and culturally appropriate. D. Equity, equality and non-discrimination 54. Housing must be equally accessible to all, including those living in poverty, Māori, Pacific people, ethnic minorities, disabled people, women, children, people living in rural and remote areas, rainbow communities, and other disadvantaged individuals and communities. Te Tiriti and the right to a decent home require effective measures, specifically designed to address unfair disadvantage, including the continuing impacts of colonisation on tangata whenua (see section 2). 55. In Aotearoa New Zealand, policymakers often call for ‘equitable’ measures. The human rights principles of equality and non-discrimination are similar to equity. All three concepts have a social justice component. In some respects, equality and non-discrimination, being reinforced by law, are more powerful than equity. For example, if the government does not take effective steps to tackle discrimination and inequality in housing, it can be held to account and required 19