CEWH Lunchtime learning:More Than a Home - Tackling the Urgent Youth Homelessness Crisis in Tāmaki Makaurau
Last year, over 80 organisations, community leaders, and taitamariki gathered in Tāmaki Makaurau to face the reality of youth homelessness head-on.
Join Manaaki Rangatahi and the Mā Te Huruhuru team as they share insights on youth homelessness and findings from their recent research, More Than a Home, which centres rangatahi-led solutions.
Date: Wednesday 13 May 2026
Time: 12–1pm
Location: Online | Free
Registration: here on Humanitix
More Than a Home is a powerful call to action, created by the Tāmaki Makaurau community and grounded in the voices, aspirations, and lived experiences of taitamariki.
The report makes clear that in Tāmaki Makaurau, the urgency of taitamariki homelessness is no longer just a crisis - it is a generational failure.
The Collective calls on Ministers to:
1. Develop a National Strategy to End Youth Homelessness
• Commit to recognising, preventing, and ending youth homelessness.
• Establish a dedicated strategy with clear targets, timelines, and accountability.
• Provide age-appropriate, culturally responsive housing options in every region, including youth-specific Kāinga Ora homes and papakāinga developments.
2. Implement Immediate Policy Changes to Remove Barriers
• Lower the age for signing tenancy agreements so 16–17-year-olds can access stable public housing.
• Amend tenancy succession rules so taitamariki do not lose their home when a whānau member passes away.
• Remove unrealistic criteria that exclude youth (e.g. past evictions, lack of ID, or criminal history).
3. Increase Investment in Youth Housing and Wraparound Support
• Expand funding for youth housing providers to create safe, stable homes across Aotearoa.
• Invest in holistic wraparound support, including mental health, life skills, employment, and education.
Find out more:
Read More Than a Home here
Find out more about Mā Te Huruhuru here
Do you want to take action against homelessness? Please sign and send the CEWH Open Letter, which calls for a national, Te Tiriti-based strategy to end women’s homelessness. Find out more here
Sign up for the CEWH newsletter to stay updated on news and events here
We hope you can join CEWH, Manaaki Rangatahi and Mā Te Huruhuru later this month.
Ngā mihi nui,
Coalition to End Women’s Homelessness
