These researchers describe how they developed a principles framework – Whare Ōranga – for guiding action on Māori/Indigenous homelessness in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This framework incorporates 3 pathways that create opportunities for action on Māori homelessness: Rangatiratanga (the Māori self-determination pathway); Whānau Ora (Government policy that places Māori families at the centre of funding, policy and services); and Housing First, an international pathway with local application for homelessness that is being implemented in parts of Aotearoa. These pathways and their potential opportunities informed the content of 20 interviews that were held with authoritative Māori, who talked about how Māori principles can be used as the foundation for action to address Māori homelessness. This issue can only be addressed by incorporating rights-based and culturally aligned practice empowered by Māori worldviews, principles and processes. Importantly, such action has to be embedded within Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which endorses Māori tribal self-determination and authority, and Whānau Ora as a government obligation to reduce inequities in Māori homelessness. Moreover, the root causes (colonisation and historical trauma) of Māori homelessness must be addressed, by adopting strong rights-based frameworks that will enact decolonisation and guide official policy.
