Homelessness is not a crime.

We all deserve housing, dignity and care.

Through our mahi at Home Ground in Omārōrō – Newtown, we run a creative wellbeing space for women in the justice system based in the Newtown Park Apartments. Every week we sit alongside wāhine building their lives after prison or court involvement.

We see the realities behind the headlines. The courage, resilience and enduring strength of women navigating poverty, trauma, system failures and housing insecurity while trying to reconnect with their whānau and community.

That’s why we strongly oppose the Government’s proposal to introduce move on orders for people experiencing homelessness.

Move on orders punish people for having nowhere safe to go. They treat poverty as something to be policed rather than addressed. Moving people on does not solve homelessness - it simply pushes the issue out of sight without addressing the real causes.

In our work with women navigating the justice and corrections systems, we see every day how systemic barriers make reintegration incredibly difficult. Many wāhine are leaving prison or navigating court processes while facing huge challenges securing safe housing, financial stability and the real support they need to build their lives.

Without stable housing and the right support, the risk of further harm and criminalisation grows.

A recent research report into wāhine Māori experiences of homelessness in Wellington echoes what we see in our daily mahi. Wāhine consistently call for safe housing, culturally grounded support and wraparound services that recognise the impacts of trauma, violence, colonisation and systemic exclusion - not punishment or displacement.

In Aotearoa, women make up around half of the homeless population, and for wāhine experiencing homelessness, four out of five identify as Māori. These inequities reflect the ongoing enduring impacts of colonisation, housing injustice and systemic failures across justice, corrections and state care. Let's be clear, these move on orders disproportionately target Māori. When laws punish people for conditions created by colonisation and systemic inequity, they are inherently racist - in both intent and impact. 

The women we work alongside are mothers, daughters, aunties, artists and leaders. With safe housing and the right support, we see women reconnect with whānau, express themselves creatively, and begin to build lives grounded in dignity and hope.

If we are serious about safer and healthier communities, the answer is not moving people along. It is making sure everyone has a place to belong.

It is doing the things we know work and what our street whānau call for:

• accessible and affordable housing

• safe, stable, resilient tenancies

• income security

• trauma-informed and culturally grounded support services that go the distance. 

  
  

From where we stand in Omārōrō - Newtown, the path forward is clear.

Say no to move on orders. Say yes to housing justice, collective care and community solutions.

Everyone deserves a place to belong.

Our community lei was created at Newtown Festival 2026 and serves as a symbol of unity and connection for us, celebrating the unique hopes and dreams of Omārōrō Newtown. This heartfelt message resonates deeply, we want everyone to have the home that they need.