Waitangi Day 2025 focuses on 'Ka Hao te Rangatahi' – the rising generation of young leaders. Manaaki Rangatahi, a collective of frontline organisations dedicated to ending and preventing youth homelessness call on Christopher Luxon’s National-led government to prioritise the well-being of young people this Waitangi Day.

“The well-being of our rangatahi should be a central focus for all of us, and this should be reflected in the decisions of all governments,” says Brooke Pao Stanley, spokesperson for Manaaki Rangatahi. “The right to feel safe in yourself, and have a home in which helps to nurture that is so important in ensuring our young people can build themselves from a place of love and care”.

This coalition government are putting rangatahi at further risk through no cause evictions, removing protections for emergency housing from the Social Security Act, introduction of bootcamps, harsher welfare sanctions, halting social housing construction, selling of social housing and cutting $20 million from youth transitional housing in the 2024 budget.

We’ve just had the Whanaketia report released that affirms the harmful experiences of rangatahi and people whilst in state and faith based care and while an apology is a start, it remains empty if there aren’t any concrete plans of action that come from it to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

"The 2023 Kāinga Kore report confirmed the Crown's failure to protect rangatahi experiencing homelessness. At a time when we celebrate Ka Hao te Rangatahi - the next generation of leaders - this coalition government continues to dismantle rather than strengthen youth housing support. You cannot nurture future leaders while denying them their basic right to a warm and safe home," says Jacqueline Paul, Researcher at Pūrangakura.

"Taitamariki deserve stability, security, and a future where they can thrive. This Waitangi Day is an opportunity for us all to reflect on how we support and uplift our young people. Ensuring access to safe, stable housing is fundamental to their well-being and development. We must work collaboratively to create solutions that uphold the mana of taitamariki and ensure they have the opportunities and support they need to succeed. Housing is a human right, and we all have a role to play in ensuring no young person is left without a home." says Māhera Maihi, CEO of Mā Te Huruhuru.

Manaaki Rangatahi are calling on the government to address the systemic factors that cause youth homelessness by first making housing a human right and ensuring there are strategies and prevention measures in place to reflect rangatahi are an utmost priority. This is the bare minimum they should be doing as their duty to us as public servants.

We urge all peoples of Aotearoa to stand with us in advocating for the rights and dignity of all rangatahi, who are taonga. The care and protection of rangatahi should be paramount to us all. Housing is a human right, and no young person should be left without a home.

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