Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad is calling for urgent, coordinated action to end child homelessness in Aotearoa, warning that no child should be sleeping rough or growing up without the security of a safe and stable home.
As winter conditions intensify across the country, Dr Achmad says the continued presence of children experiencing homelessness should concern every New Zealander, describing housing as a fundamental foundation for children’s health, education and overall wellbeing.
Through the work of Mana Mokopuna – Children and Young People’s Commission, she says child homelessness remains a complex issue driven by a combination of rising housing costs, financial hardship, family violence, insecure rental housing and a shortage of affordable homes.
Dr Achmad says many children experiencing homelessness are not always visible, with families often moving between temporary accommodation, overcrowded homes, emergency housing or staying with relatives rather than sleeping on the streets.
She warns that unstable housing can have lifelong consequences, affecting children’s physical and mental health, educational achievement, emotional development and sense of belonging.
Without a safe place to call home, children can struggle to attend school consistently, maintain friendships or access regular healthcare, while parents and caregivers face enormous pressure trying to provide stability in difficult circumstances.
Dr Achmad says the impacts extend well beyond individual families, placing additional pressure on education, health, social services and community organisations that respond to housing insecurity.
She believes addressing child homelessness requires long-term solutions rather than short-term responses, including increasing the supply of affordable and social housing, strengthening support services for vulnerable families and tackling the wider causes of poverty and inequality.
The Children’s Commissioner is also calling for stronger collaboration between government agencies, local authorities, iwi, community organisations and housing providers to ensure families receive coordinated support before they reach crisis point.
Dr Achmad says preventing homelessness is not only about providing housing but also ensuring whānau have access to secure incomes, healthcare, education and culturally appropriate support services that enable children to thrive.
She believes every child has the right to grow up in a safe, warm and secure home, and says achieving that goal will require sustained political commitment, community leadership and investment focused on the long-term wellbeing of tamariki and their whānau.
With housing affordability continuing to dominate national debate ahead of the 2026 General Election, Dr Achmad says eliminating child homelessness should remain a priority for governments, communities and all New Zealanders.
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