Conclusion
The current emergency housing system is
seriously failing. Many people are in serious and
unaddressed housing need. We urge Government,
opposition, and all stakeholders, to seek and
support bipartisan solutions.
HUD, as befits its leadership role, has the task of
evaluating whether housing policy, regulatory,
investment, and institutional settings all work
together to reach enduring positive change.94
Increasingly, organisations responding to housing
need across different areas of the system are
recognising the social function of housing, rather
than treating housing as primarily a financial
investment.95
In this work to reshape our emergency housing
system, and the housing system more broadly, the
fear of getting it wrong must not stand in the way
of trying something new. Innovative approaches or
initiatives may not achieve the right outcomes the
first time. But the current system is already failing
in fundamental ways.
Now, more than ever, we need bold and
courageous thinking, reinforced by community
participation and constructive accountability,
to help deliver a fair, decent, equitable housing
system for everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand. In
this life-enhancing endeavour, the right to a decent
home grounded on Te Tiriti o Waitangi has a major
role to play.
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