This is the “real housing affordability problem” highlighted in the latest instalment of the social justice information series being published by the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS ).

Let us all keep the focus on those in greatest need and those who might otherwise be invisible in the debate about ‘housing affordability’, says Trevor McGlinchey, NZCCSS Executive Officer.

The negative impact that poor quality housing has on families and children remains a major issue in Aotearoa New Zealand. Steps being taken to improve the quality of state houses are welcomed, but we also have to face issues such as the unmet demand for a greater quantity of both state (social) housing and housing funded through community based solutions such as housing trusts.

When political candidates in the upcoming Election are questioned about housing, we believe more questions need to be asked of them about housing issues beyond the ‘Kiwi dream’ of home ownership. We need to do more to protect the basic human right to adequate housing.

NZCCSS is providing relevant links and access to more information about housing issues. [Read More]

[ See letter: open-letter-to-political-candidates.pdf]

 ”As made clear in our joint Church leaders’ statement in March we believe that issues related to poverty, families and children, older people, housing and essential social services are issues that individual politicians need to take personal leadership on. There is also a clear expectation that they offer the voting public something significant to say on these issues, that can then be part of a process of a honest and open debate,” said Archbishop David Moxon of the Anglican Church.  

The Reverend Brian Turner, Methodist Church, Rodney Macann, Baptist Churches of New Zealand, and the Right Reverend Pamela Tankersley, Presbyterian Church, all described the period before an election as a unique opportunity to intensify discussion about the type of society we live in.  ”The affect that poverty has on vulnerable New Zealanders is an issue we need to bring to the fore as part of the call we have as Christians to serve those on the margins of society,” said Pamela Tankersley.  ”A question that we need to ask ourselves is whether we are striving hard enough as a nation to put aside self-interest and to find a stronger collective social conscience in 2008,” said Brian Turner.  ”When our politicians talk about the policies they plan to introduce we want them to talk about he extent to which those policies can be considered just and compassionate, and we want them to explicitly address the issue of reducing poverty,” said Rodney Macann.

 ”Next week the Catholic Church holds its annual Social Justice Week and the focus is on the latest publication from Caritas, our social justice agency, titled ‘Look and look again: Poverty in an affluent society’,” said Archbishop John Dew of Wellington. “As made clear in the recent statement by Catholic Bishops we are not about to tell people how to vote, but the way in which individual politicians respond to social justice issues, particularly poverty, is obviously an important signal of their integrity and values”. 

Garth McKenzie, Salvation Army Commissioner, said that any investment in addressing poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand is a “socially responsible investment”.  ”In the set of issues and reflections for this year’s election we have just published in our publication ‘A New Journey’, we argue that we all need to have a concern about the structures which marginalise people and leave them in poverty. The message we have for our would-be leaders is that we need to do more as a nation t look for ways of building just structures – locally, nationally and even globally”. 

Earlier this year the Church leaders also endorsed the Council’s information programme titled ‘Aroha tetahi ki tetahi – Let us look after each other’. The programme aims to raise public awareness of social justice and compassion issues and to ensure that the situation of the poor and vulnerable in Aotearoa New Zealand is given a more prominent place on the agenda of public concerns in 2008. Through the programme thousands of posters and brochures, promoting themes such as treasuring our children and valuing older people, have been distributed to Churches and providers of essential social services throughout New Zealand.  

The five “calls” made by the programme are for a more just and compassionate society through the implementation of policies to:

• Utilise our nation’s prosperity to eliminate poverty
• Support families and communites to nurture and portect our children
• Provide older people with a range of choices for their homes, support and lifestyle
• Enable access to good, affordable housing for everyone
• Support community-based partnership-driven solutions to social issues in the community

More information is available at www.justiceandcompassion.org.nz

“Made Poor in New Zealand?” is the provocative headline being used by the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) in the latest instalment of its information programme about social justice issues in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“On the one hand the systems for monitoring and reporting on levels of poverty in this country have become more and more sophisticated. Yet on the other hand the every day plight of those on the lowest incomes, including beneficiaries, seems to have almost been forgotten,” says Trevor McGlinchey, NZCCSS Executive Officer.

“The point we are making is this: As a prosperous and generous nation we should be putting a higher priority on lifting and protecting the living standards and human rights of those who are the poorest and most vulnerable amongst us.”

“Poverty hurts us all. There is a large body of evidence that points to both the economic and social cost of ignoring issues of poverty. This is borne out time and time again by statistics related to areas such as poor health and poor housing, lower educational achievement and a higher incidence of issues such as indebtedness and other long-term consequences of poverty,” says Trevor McGlinchey.

“NZCCSS believes that the voices of those most affected by poverty in this country need to be listened to more thoroughly. We recognise it is our obligation to seek out those voices, to present what we find and to act as advocates for the poor and vulnerable.”

To reinforce its message NZCCSS has developed a set of factsheets titled “Facts About Poverty”.

These are available on the NZCCSS website at www.justiceandcompassion.org.nz

In July the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) continues its election year call for greater awareness of key issues facing New Zealand by promoting the message that more action is needed to provide a valued place in our society for older people.

The fact that more people are living longer than ever before is something we should be celebrating as an outstanding achievement. Older New Zealanders make huge contributions to maintaining our social fabric through their life skills and life experience; as workers, as parents or grandparents, as caregivers and as active members of the community. Yet too often older people are portrayed as a burden on society, suffer from ageism, are exploited or even abused. Genuine issues of poverty, loneliness and sickness are too easily ignored.

NZCCSS argues that the realities of an ageing population put some fundamental challenges before all of us: Where and how shall we live? Who will be there to help us when it is needed? What choices will we be able to provide older people with? 

The second in the series of brochures published by NZCCSS for its member organisations, Church-based audiences and wider public, looks at the massive social change that our ageing population is bringing with it. This second part of a call for more action asks the question about how we value older people in our society? A central measure of value is the range of choices that will be available for older people who have few assets, low incomes and/ or high needs. A copy of the brochure is available to download here.

NZCCSS has summarised some of the key issues in a briefing given to Church Leaders [Read more]

We believe a just and compassionate society can be achieved by more action to:

• Support families and communities in nurturing and protecting our children as taonga.
• Provide older people with a range of choices for their homes, support and lifestyle.
• Utilise our nation’s prosperity responsibly to eliminate poverty.
• Enable access to good, affordable housing for everyone.
• Support community-based organisations to grow the spirit of aroha tetahi ki tetahi – looking after each other.

During the year a series of five discussion leaflets and posters is being produced to support the Call for More Action, the first of which was released in June.

“Are we looking after our children?” – when one in five of them are living in poverty. This is the central question behind the first part of the call for action – let us begin to really nurture and protect our children. Suggested actions for communities and individuals are included in the information that can be downloaded from  http://www.justiceandcompassion.org.nz/site/home.php  

We’ll keep you posted as new information comes to hand.