f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
children and young people;
women;
rainbow communities;22
older people;
beneficiaries;
migrants.
Some of these groups suffer from overlapping
forms of disadvantage e.g. disabled Māori and
Pacific women.
Effective measures to ensure everyone has
access to a decent home must give particular
attention to disadvantaged individuals,
communities and populations.
58. Services, facilities and infrastructure
Housing must ensure facilities essential for
health, security, and comfort, including for
Aotearoa’s rural and remote communities.
For example, residents should have access to
safe drinking water, sanitation and washing
facilities, refuse disposal and emergency
services, and energy for heating, lighting, and
cooking.
59. Location
Housing must allow access to employment
options, healthcare services, accessible
transport routes, schools including te reo
education, childcare and other social facilities,
including for rural and remote communities.
Housing should not be so close to pollution
sources that inhabitants’ health is jeopardised.
60. Respect for cultural diversity
Housing has a very important cultural
dimension. In Aotearoa, which aspires to a
dynamic inclusive multiculturalism grounded
on Te Tiriti, this dimension is crucial. For
example, Māori, Pacific people and numerous
culturally diverse communities have models
26
Human Rights Commission
of living that include the extended family
(whānau or aiga). The national housing system
is required to reflect our cultural diversity
and Te Tiriti foundations: one model does not
suit all. Also, regeneration and other projects
must not sacrifice places of special cultural
significance.23
61. Security of tenure
Everyone should have security of tenure which
guarantees legal protection, including due
process in relation to eviction, discrimination,
harassment and other unfair treatment.
Tenure, which has a cultural dimension, takes
a variety of forms, including Māori systems
of land tenure, owner-occupation, rental
(public and private), individual and collective,
cooperative housing, social housing and
emergency housing. It should take account
of the interests of children, disabled people,
at-risk adults, all family types, and people of
different stages of life and cultures. Tenure
places obligations on all parties, including
tenants who have a responsibility to treat with
respect other occupiers, landlords, neighbours
and their community.
62. Conclusion on ‘decency’ principles.
One way for individuals, communities,
government and the private sector to
implement some of the UN ‘decency’
housing principles is to promote universal
design. Universal design advances
inclusive, accessible, healthy buildings and
environments, and respect for cultural
diversity.24 It considers people throughout
the life cycle from childhood to old age,
and is alert to different scenarios, including
disability. The importance of security of tenure
should not be overlooked. Tenure insecurity
contributes to a major housing problem in
Aotearoa: high transience among renters.