The human right to public participation As the Guidelines confirm, individuals and communities are entitled to active and informed participation on issues relating to housing, including policy making and accountability.30 In addition to entitlements arising from Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples highlights the right to free, prior, and informed consent in relation to initiatives that affect indigenous peoples, including housing-related initiatives.31 The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities includes an obligation to actively involve disabled people in all issues that affect them, including housing issues. Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, all children may participate in decisions that affect them, in accordance with their age and maturity. These and other national and international human rights commitments affirm the democratic principle of ‘nothing about us, without us’.32 Current social, community and tangata whenua engagement in the housing system Aotearoa has a dynamic range of social, community, and iwi organisations working across the whole housing system, including: • emergency housing support • tenancy support and advocacy • rent to buy programmes • home ownership options • advice, assessment, upgrades and other healthy and energy-efficient homes support • community financing models and community schemes to develop accessible and affordable homes. 20 state and private providers to improve access to decent homes. Some are as small and informal as families opening their homes, others are nationwide or Australasian housing providers. Funding levels vary and funding sources include government, iwi and philanthropic organisations. Communities and government engage with each other. However, this engagement could be strengthened. Much of the engagement in the housing space has focused on contract models to meet government housing targets. Little engagement has grappled with housing as a system or addressed the historic issues and intersectional barriers. Relationships are often transactional and competitive. Importantly, we lack consistent and accessible mechanisms to hear from tenants or people experiencing barriers to housing. Those experiencing homelessness are often spoken for by funded providers, rather than sharing their own lived experiences. This lack of participation is particularly problematic considering the over-representation of Māori amongst renters, those experiencing homelessness, and those in housing-sensitive health statistics. Why public participation and democratic engagement? Whānau, hapū, marae, iwi, community The housing crisis has alienated a generation. They are unable to realise the so-called Kiwi dream of home ownership or achieve housing security. They are forced to rent sub-standard accommodation. They cannot save enough for a rainy day or retirement. There is deepening intergenerational resentment. The present government’s suite of housing initiatives is more promising than anything we have seen for many years, but despite this there is a generation of young people with a gnawing sense of unfairness and powerlessness. organisations, faith groups, and community organisations large and small are working with the In these circumstances, it is imperative there are institutional arrangements that allow them to be Human Rights Commission