In 2023, Joe has connected and facilitated a hui and process between 20/20 Sustainable Housing and He Puaawai Teen Parent Unit. Gill Cotter (Lead at He Puaawai) and Angie Simpson (Director of 20/20 Sustainable Housing) were introduced in September where they shared their mahi, experiences with youth housing and what opportunities may lie ahead.
As a result of this first hui, we have since had three more and very quickly it has been identified that at least eight of the teen parents are living in extremely sub-par transitional housing on Ulster Street in Kirikiriroa and are in dire need of a safer home. Angie Simpson immediately initiated and led a process with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and MSD to locate two houses for the teen parents and a referral of the transitional housing contract from their current service provider to 20/20 Sustainable Housing. This is now in the pipeline and the hope is that the teen mums will live in a house together with their own rooms and bathrooms, safe fenced garden for their babies and young children and the right to self-determination to build their future whilst under the ongoing care and support of 20/20.
Joe has been asked to document this process and collaboration by Angie and Gill so that the story, process and need for change can be presented at a political level and to landlords. Through this we can advocate that poor providers of transitional and emergency housing must be held accountable for the level of service they are providing and as a beacon to private landlords who want to be a part of the solution in the future to more young people.
The documentation of this project will be both written and video so that it can be shared on multiple platforms to a wider audience. This is ongoing community-led so timelines will be reflective of this process. He Puaawai have also been connected with Mana Services youth housing and are now a member of the Manaaki Rangatahi ki Waikato collective.
For more information contact Joe: joe@waikatowellbeingproject.com
