Rangatahi experiencing homelessness at increased risk over the Christmas period.

Manaaki Rangatahi is concerned that without safe or stable immediate accommodation available for rangatahi who experience homelessness, many young people will be without a safe place to live over Christmas. Covid 19 and the lockdowns highlighted the gap that still exists in our emergency housing system for young people. Over lockdown many young people were not able to access safe or stable accommodation when they found themselves homeless, as a result they were at increased risk.

Despite increasing calls for urgent action and the development of a strategy to end youth homelessness, this gap is still to be resolved, meaning that over this period, many of our young people will spend this Christmas on our streets, couch surfing, sleeping in cars, or living in motels where they are unsafe and unsupported.

There is a growing awareness within New Zealand that the right to housing is a basic human right, and yet over the Christmas period, this is a right that will be denied to many of our most vulnerable young people.

Manaaki Rangatahi is calling on the Government to recognize the housing and homelessness crisis that is impacting on the wellbeing of our young people this Christmas.

Manaaki Rangatahi believes that the Government must respond urgently in addressing this human rights crisis facing our young people and must move to provide urgent and immediate access to housing for rangatahi who experience homelessness.

Will you support us to elevate the voices of young people experiencing homelessess this Christmas? Sign and share our petition now: https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/end-youth-homelessness and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

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The Manaaki Rangatahi ki Tāmaki Youth Homelessness Collective was established in 2018 as a way of consolidating the work of different organisations who are trying to tackle youth homelessness. Member organisations including VOYCE - Whakarongo Mai, Auckland City Mission, Lifewise, Strive Community Trust, RainbowYOUTH and VisionWest Community Trust, are calling for immediate and urgent action to respond to Youth Homelessness.

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