The debate over new police move-on powers is exposing a much bigger question for Aotearoa — what happens when homelessness and housing insecurity follow wāhine Māori all the way into retirement?
Radio Waatea’s Matthew Tukaki has spoken with Dr Kathie Irwin about the passage of the Summary Offences (Move-on Orders) Amendment Bill and concerns that homelessness is increasingly being treated as a public-order problem rather than a housing and social justice crisis.
The legislation passed its third reading last week. It gives Police new powers to order people engaging in specified behaviour to leave an area, with the legislation covering begging, rough sleeping and behaviour indicating an intention to inhabit a public place. The Government says the powers are intended to address disorder and improve safety in public spaces.
But Tukaki and Irwin also took the conversation further — looking at what housing insecurity means for older wāhine Māori approaching or already living in retirement.
Research from the Retirement Commission shows Māori are less likely to own their own home in retirement and tend to reach retirement with lower KiwiSaver balances. Its 2025 review also found housing costs are becoming an increasing burden for older New Zealanders, particularly those who continue renting.
The gender picture adds another warning. Retirement Commission research identifies older women as one of the groups most at risk of homelessness, alongside wāhine Māori and Pacific women. Demand for social housing among people aged 65 and over more than doubled between 2019 and 2024.
There is also a striking gap in conventional retirement housing. Census data shows Māori represented just 2.1 percent of people living in registered retirement villages in 2023, with entry into many villages linked to home ownership and the ability to sell a property to finance the move.
The kōrero raises a challenge extending well beyond the new move-on laws: where do we expect older wāhine Māori to go when secure and affordable housing simply is not there?
For Tukaki and Irwin, that means the homelessness debate cannot stop at who occupies a public space today. It must also confront housing security, retirement income and whether Aotearoa is preparing properly for an ageing Māori population.
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