Bianca Johanson | Youth Homelessness Taken to Parliament as Auckland Faces Proposed “Move-On” Orders

Dale Husband Bianca Johanson | Pou Arahi of Manaaki Rangatahi

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A growing coalition of youth homelessness organisations has brought the crisis of rangatahi homelessness to Parliament, timed to coincide with mounting concern over proposed enforcement measures by Auckland Council and the Government to push rough sleepers out of Auckland’s city-centre.

What’s happening

• The Youth Homelessness Collective has submitted briefs to MPs and NGOs, framing youth homelessness in Auckland as a crisis requiring urgent housing, support and policy reform.

• Meanwhile, the Council and Government are preparing “move-on orders” (or similar by-law/measures) that would allow authorised officers or police to direct people sleeping rough in public places (particularly in the CBD) to leave or relocate.

• Community advocates warn that such orders risk criminalising homelessness and displacing vulnerable young people, rather than addressing root causes.

Rangatahi homelessness is of particular concern in this debate:

• Youth homelessness often intersects with family breakdown, mental health, addictions, housing instability and structural disadvantage.

• Several youth homelessness advocates argue that move-on powers will disproportionately impact Māori and Pacific young people, who are already over-represented in youth-homelessness and housing-instability statistics.

• The collective emphasises that when young people have nowhere safe to stay, public spaces can become de facto shelters. A directive to “move on” may push them into less visible and more hazardous environments.

Advocates highlight several risks linked to a punitive or enforcement-based policy:

• Displacement rather than resolution: Moving people from one public place to another does not address their housing need; it may simply hide the visibility of the problem.

• Criminalisation pathways: Orders that compel movement may lead to police interaction, fines or warrants-particularly risky for young people who already face barriers in housing, employment and wellbeing.

• Ignoring root causes: Housing advocates argue that the focus should be on housing supply, support services, early intervention and trauma-informed responses – not just public-space management.

• Cultural and equity dimensions: For Māori rangatahi and their whānau, such policies can deepen the sense of marginalisation, and fail to recognise comprehensive rights of Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi-particularly regarding housing and tino rangatiratanga.

Authorities argue that public safety, wellbeing of the city-centre environment and the visibility of homelessness are pressing issues: The Government has acknowledged that rough sleeping and housing-deprivation numbers in Auckland have increased significantly. Officials say any move-on orders would be one tool among many, emphasising the need for housing, support services and coordinated interventions. The Council points to engagement with central government and other agencies but notes the complexity of implementing housing-first solutions at scale.

The collective’s submission to Parliament outlines several key demands: Investment in immediate shelter options and low-barrier housing pathways for young people, especially Māori and Pacific rangatahi. Strengthened outreach, wrap-around support (mental health, addictions, education/training, employment pathways) linked to housing interventions.

A rejection of enforcement-only responses; instead, policy should reflect the lived experience of homeless young people and their whānau. A stronger emphasis on prevention – early support for whānau at risk of housing loss, youth transitions, and culturally-grounded services.

This is a critical juncture for youth homelessness and housing policy in Aotearoa:

• The scale of homelessness in Auckland has surged, with rough-sleeping numbers rising and youth being particularly vulnerable.

• How the city responds – with enforcement, housing, or a mix – will shape outcomes for young people for years to come.

• For Māori communities, the path chosen will reflect whether housing, wellbeing and youth services honour the intent of partnership, equity and tino rangatiratanga.

Key things to watch include: Whether the Government and Council proceed with formal move-on powers or shift their focus toward housing solutions. Funding announcements for youth-specific homelessness interventions, housing supply, and Māori-led services. The impact on Māori youth in particular: will policies reduce or exacerbate their over-representation in homelessness statistics?

How the Youth Homelessness Collective and other advocacy groups engage Parliament and hold decision-makers to account.

The Youth Homelessness Collective taking the crisis to Parliament signals that homeless young people and those who support them are refusing to be invisible. The policy choices made now-between enforcement and housing-led action-may determine whether the response is punitive or transformative for rangatahi across Tāmaki Makaurau.

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