September 18, 2026
Children’s Commissioner Jane
Searle has welcomed changes to the Summary Offences (Move On
Orders) Amendment Bill that exempt children and young people
under the age of 18 from the legislation, but says work must
continue to ensure young people who are most at risk of
housing insecurity or homeless receive the support they
need.
“The amendment means children will no longer
be subject to move-on orders, but the underlying issues
still remain, that there are an increasing number of young
people who are homeless.
“We know that
care-experienced young people are much more likely than
their peers to experience housing instability and
homelessness. At a time when many young people are
struggling to find affordable housing, those leaving care
often do so without the family and support networks that
other young people can rely on.
“These are young
people who are often leaving care without stable housing,
without strong family support networks, and while continuing
to deal with the impacts of trauma and other complex
challenges,” she says.
A recent housing needs
assessment commissioned by Oranga Tamariki found some young
people transitioning from care or youth justice were living
in garages and cars. The assessment warned the scale of
housing insecurity among this group was likely to be
undercounted.
“The evidence is clear that young
people leaving care face much higher rates of homelessness
than the general population. Contributing factors include
limited whānau support, the impacts of trauma, difficulty
navigating adult housing systems, and the shortage of
affordable, suitable accommodation.
“We need to
understand the significant issues that these young people
are facing when they leave care and how that can lead to
homelessness. Ongoing wraparound support for young people
transitioning from care is essential and what every young
person in care must
have.”
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