Spring 2023 update to our supporters
Kia ora e te whānau
Thank you for your interest in the Coalition to End Women’s Homelessness. We appreciate your energy, your hard work, and your messages of support as we work to end women’s homelessness in Aotearoa-New Zealand.
Image shows three Pākehā women standing next to each other, smiling. The woman on the left is Victoria Crockford, Project Convenor of the Coalition to End Women’s Homelessness, she is dressed in a colourful shirt and jeans. The woman in the middle is Hon. Dr. Megan Woods, Minister for Housing, she is wearing a black top and black pants. The woman on the right is Jill Hawkey, the Executive Director of the Christchurch Methodist Mission, she is wearing a peach-coloured jacket, a navy top and navy pants.
Our ask.
We are working for a future where all our women have safe, secure, uplifting places to call home. We are advocating for:
Government housing policy captures and reflects the experiences of women
That great data and evidence about the needs of women experiencing homelessness is gathered and used
Funding of the type and quantum needed to address women's housing issues is available
Housing and services meet the diverse needs of women, with a focus on wahine Māori
If you believe you can influence any of these areas in your work or if you want to hear more, please get in contact with us.
Our mahi since May.
After the successful launch of our project at the Community Housing Aotearoa conference in Ōtautahi in May, we have been working hard to raise awareness about the experiences of our women living without safety, without security, and often in fear.
We have been meeting with politicians from all parties and officials across Ministries to advocate for change - particular thanks to Hon Marama Davidson, Minister for Homelessness, National Housing spokesperson, Chris Bishop, and National Party Social Housing spokesperson, Tama Potaka for each hosting us.
Most recently, we were pleased to meet with Minister for Housing Megan Woods in her electorate in Ōtautahi and talk specifically about the gender data gap and the unmet housing needs of our older women.
Image shows three Pākehā women standing next to each other, smiling. The woman on the left is Victoria Crockford, Project Convenor of the Coalition to End Women’s Homelessness, she is dressed in a colourful shirt and jeans. The woman in the middle is Hon. Dr. Megan Woods, Minister for Housing, she is wearing a black top and black pants. The woman on the right is Jill Hawkey, the Executive Director of the Christchurch Methodist Mission, she is wearing a peach-coloured jacket, a navy top and navy pants.
Media.
We have been telling the story of our unhoused women to multiple media outlets:
The Christchurch Press profiled older women Carol and Pali, who found a wonderful community at the Christchurch Methodist Mission’s WesleyCare Village. Includes comment from Retirement Commissioner, Jane Wrightson.
Our Coalition member and Wellington Homeless Women’s Trust Chair Jo Cribb laid out why our housing policies need a gender lens in her regular Newsroom article.
A profile of Coalition member and Auckland City Missioner, Helen Robinson appeared in the Sunday Star Times, talking about how invisible the issue of women’s homelessness is.
Our website.
We have launched a placeholder website as a place to share news and events. We also aim to profile research and tautako other work going on, so if you have something to share, please get in touch with us.
Check out the website at this link: https://www.coalitiontoendwomenshomelessness.org/
Watch this space for social media!
What’s next?
We are planning a series of hui in response to the election outcome and you will be able to keep in touch about that via the website and via this newsletter.
We continue to build our Coalition and look for partnership and funding opportunities to ensure we are around to hold this government and the next to the account and offer practical solutions to close the funding and research gaps for women’s housing. We exist because of a community that has come in behind us, so please stay in touch.
Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.coalitiontoendwomenshomelessness.org/theissue
Stay in touch via the website: https://www.coalitiontoendwomenshomelessness.org/contact
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou
Caroline, Helen, Jill, Jo, and Vic
He iti te mokoroa, nāna i kati te kahikatea
The mokoroa (grub) may be small, but it cuts through the kahikatea
