•
•
enduring discrimination on ethnicity, religion,
disability, gender, and other prohibited
grounds
the need for a dynamic inclusive
multiculturalism grounded on Te Tiriti and
underpinned by respect (manaakitanga) and
human rights for all.
local government are deeply complementary.
They share common values, such as wellbeing,
and they must support and enable each other.
Central and local government have a shared
responsibility to do everything in their power to
deliver the right to a decent home for everyone in
Aotearoa.
Rights and responsibilities
How can the Guidelines help?
Human rights and Te Tiriti not only place
obligations on central and local government, they
also place responsibilities on others, including
individuals. In the context of the right to a
decent home, the Guidelines outline the rights of
individuals, communities, hapū and iwi (rightsholders) and the responsibilities of government,
private sector, landlords, property managers,
service-providers and tenants (duty-bearers).
The right to a decent home grounded on human
rights and Te Tiriti has several constructive roles
including:
• empowering individuals, hapū, iwi and
communities
• helping to improve and strengthen housing
policies and initiatives
• holding those with responsibilities
accountable.
Central and local government: a shared
responsibility
In this way, the Guidelines can assist both rightsholders and duty-bearers to understand their
rights and responsibilities.
In relation to housing, the roles of central and
Colonisation and Te Tiriti o Waitangi
The Guidelines are informed by the systematic
dispossession of Māori from their land, the
ongoing impact of colonisation, Te Tiriti, the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples, and values that are integral
to Te Ao Māori e.g. whanaungatanga (kinship),
kaitiakitanga (stewardship) and manaakitanga
(respect).
It is impossible to implement the right to a decent
home in Aotearoa without recognising its colonial
history and the lasting impact of colonisation
on Māori rights and wellbeing. Colonial and
discriminatory policies were designed to be
inequitable and their impact on the housing of
Māori persists to this day.
Te Tiriti, the country’s foundational document,
establishes the relationship between Māori and
the Crown. It affirms the status of whānau, hapū
and iwi as tangata whenua and recognises their
pre-existing rangatiratanga. It envisages a sharing
of power and authority and a partnership of
equals. Te Tiriti requires government to work in
partnership, and share decision-making, with its
Tiriti partners, and to respect and support the
rangatiratanga authority of tangata whenua. The
right to a secure, peaceful, decent home – both
for tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti – is at the
core of the Tiriti agreement.
These issues are outlined in Section 2:
Colonisation and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
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