The Post: Our ‘gender-blind’ social housing system is failing women
In a recent opinion piece for The Post , Victoria Crockford, Project Director at the Coalition to End Women’s Homelessness, laid bare the brutal reality of what happens when our housing policies ignore gender. Here’s what you need to know:
The context
During Parliament’s Scrutiny Week, Labour MP Kieran McAnulty questioned Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka about reports that women fleeing domestic violence were being denied emergency housing by the Ministry of Social Development—on the basis they had “contributed to their own homelessness.”
Minister Potaka was clear in his response: the decision to leave a violent household should not be considered a contributing factor when assessing emergency housing applications.
The deeper issue
Vic argues this isn’t just a policy error. It’s the result of a housing system that is fundamentally gender-blind.
The evidence
Research by CEWH, Ngā Ara ki te Kāinga (Dec 2024), reveals:
57,000 women in Aotearoa are experiencing severe housing deprivation
Women are 2.4 times more likely than men to experience intimate partner violence
Women in housing hardship are far more likely to be sole parents—17% receive sole parent support compared to 2% of men
One-third of all women experiencing homelessness are wāhine Māori
Housing instability for women often stems directly from abuse, violence, and relationship breakdown—yet current policy settings fail to reflect these realities
Vic’s op-ed includes a confronting story:
“Picture this: You've been living in fear, caught in relentless cycles of violence that leave you fearful for your life. Then your partner damages or destroys your rental home, and suddenly you're not just a survivor of violence – you're homeless too. Evicted through no fault of your own, blamed for destruction you’re now on the hook for financially and emotionally.”
What needs to change
Vic’s piece calls for a complete rethink of how we approach housing and safety for women. That includes applying a gendered lens to:
Emergency housing decision-making
Support for pregnant women and single mothers
Safe, accessible housing for older women
The unique experiences of rural and Māori women
Funding models that reflect the complexity of women’s lives
No woman fleeing violence should ever be told she caused or contributed to her own homelessness. Without systemic change, stories like this will continue.
It’s time for a cohesive, gender-responsive housing strategy—one that doesn’t just react, but prevents harm before it happens.
