Source: Save the Children
Today’s release of the Human Rights Commission Inquiry into the emergency housing system reveals failures in not only upholding basic human rights – but also children’s rights, Save the Children says.
Save the Children New Zealand Advocacy Director Jacqui Southey says the report reveals the brutal reality of inadequate housing and the serious impact this is having on children and their families.
“This important work by the Human Rights Commission highlights the severe impact of the housing crisis on the rights and wellbeing of New Zealanders.
“The violence, deprivation, poor health impacts and even racism that children are witnessing and experiencing in emergency and transitional housing situations, as revealed in the report, are unacceptable.
“Not only are these housing settings breaching human rights, it is important to note they are also breaching children’s rights to shelter, a decent standard of living, good health, and protection from harm.
“It is alarming that tamariki and whānau Māori, disabled children, and children in sole parent families continue to be severely disadvantaged by the housing crisis and speaks to enduring discrimination.
“Affordable, healthy, and safe housing establishes a strong foundation for a life where children have good health, a place of security, can do well at school, and are part of community.”
Earlier this year, more than 4500 concerned Kiwis supported Save the Children’s online pledge asking New Zealand’s political leaders to prioritise spending on the housing crisis.
“We recognise the Government is working to improve housing stocks and has implemented policy changes to encourage more people to purchase their first home,” Ms Southey says.
“It is positive to see the Government’s commitment to building more social housing and infrastructure coming to fruition, and it is encouraging that numbers of people requiring emergency housing is falling.
“However, care must be taken that numbers are genuinely falling due to finding secure housing alternatives, rather than opting out and living in cars because living in unsafe emergency or transitional housing is untenable.”
Save the Children shares the Human Rights Commission’s concerns around the Government’s decision to exempt emergency and transitional housing providers from Healthy Homes Standards.
“The Healthy Homes Standards exist to protect the health of the people living in them. Our Under 5s Basic Health and Thematic Report to the UN earlier this year showed young children are particularly vulnerable to poor respiratory and skin health, and increased risks of Sudden Unexplained Death in Infancy (SUDI) is directly linked to an unhealthy housing environment. SUDI continues to be the leading cause of preventable death of babies in New Zealand.
“Reports have shown that motels providing emergency housing are well remunerated by the Government so should be required to provide safe and healthy accommodation for the children and their families living there. Cooking facilities, cleanliness, secure locks, privacy, and safety should be guaranteed at a minimum. There is no place for abuse, violence, or racism anywhere in our society and it should not be tolerated because people are forced to live in desperate situations.”
Ms Southey says there is no “quick fix” to the housing crisis, but that in order for children to do well, enjoy safe and happy childhoods, and realise the promise of their future potential, safe, affordable housing is essential.
“The scale and complexity of the problem will require ongoing focus and investment by governments now and in the future. The signalled changes by the Ministry of Social Development to make housing supports for those on welfare or low wages is heartening. The inflexible support system has seen some families driven into emergency housing due to a real inability to cover the cost of the steep increase in housing in recent years.”
Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.
Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction, and alleviating child poverty.
