In 2021, the Human Rights Commission launched a Housing Inquiry to address the housing and human rights crisis that affects everyone, one way or another, in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Inquiry builds on our development and publication of Aratohu tika tangata ki te whai whare rawaka i Aotearoa: Framework Guidelines on the right to a decent home in Aotearoa, which outline what the right to a decent home means in the unique context of Aotearoa New Zealand. The Guidelines identify the key features of this human right, including the importance of reading it alongside and grounded on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and provide a helpful lens for examining housing strategies and other initiatives. One of the most alarming outcomes of the housing and human rights crisis is the increasing number of individuals and families who are facing homelessness. 14 Human Rights Commission Government has a human rights obligation to respond to homelessness. This obligation includes the requirement to provide emergency housing for those facing homelessness, as they transition towards decent sustainable housing. As well as human rights obligations, government also has Tiriti o Waitangi obligations, particularly given that Tangata Whenua are disproportionately represented in homelessness statistics and the emergency housing system. In Aotearoa New Zealand, successive governments have established an emergency housing system to deliver on this human rights obligation and respond to the immediate housing needs of those who are homeless. This emergency housing system includes a range of initiatives, including two services that deliver the majority of emergency housing: emergency accommodation funded through the emergency housing grant, and transitional housing.