workshopS

STREAM: BETTER RESIDENT OUTCOMES

An intergenerational place-based approach to community development and restorative environmental action

This Āhuru Mōwai workshop explores the profound and transformative Māori philosophy of the whare as the womb of the ancestors, emphasising its role as a foundation for spiritual nourishment, education, safety, and healing within whānau. By reconnecting with these traditional concepts, participants will gain insights into how housing can be a source of resilience, well-being, and cultural continuity for Māori communities.

Facilitated by: Tamati Patuwai, Mad Ave

Mad Ave is a whānau development organisation based in Glen Innes. It is named after Madeleine Avenue, an iconic street in that East Auckland suburb.

They call their development approach He Whainga Mahara, which is based in the three baskets of knowledge: Tika – integrity and order; Pono – authenticity and clarity; and Aroha – compassion and care.

The trust was established around 15 years ago by the whānau of Janette aka Skippy Patuwai, to support her community using a more localised way of support. Tamati Patuwai, one of Skippy’s sons, says that wairua or spirituality is at the heart of everything they do “because it is intrinsic to our indigenous world view.”

Mad Ave has been intentionally kept small so they are not tied down by top-heavy, long-term contracts but remain agile and able to respond to issues as they arise. They know their community well. Glen Innes and Panmure have a population of around 17,000 and a relatively significant proportion of those people are Māori and Pasifika. Tamati’s whānau have long lived in this community. They are connected, and they know how to listen. “We have a deep understanding of these people,” says Tamati, “we come from the same place, we have the same history. We know them and they know us. We trust they know what they want and need, and they know how to do it. Trust is pivotal. All we try to do is to provide the environment for them to do the work. Trust clears the space of any barriers.”

Measuring Tenant Wellbeing Social Outcomes - Identifying the content for a common core survey module on wellbeing and social outcomes for inclusion in annual tenant surveys carried out by housing providers

The workshop will be interactive with a minimal scene-setting introduction from the facilitators and most of the time given to interactive small group work to identify and prioritise the most important wellbeing measures. Topic specifications relating to different potential measures have already been prepared and these will be used to support the process by providing summary information on the range of comparable standardised measures of different outcomes available that could form the components of a core wellbeing module.

Facilitated by: Conal Smith, Public Housing & Urban Regeneration Research Programme, Department of Public Health, Otago University

Conal Smith is a Wellington-based economist with interests spanning the economics of well-being, valuing intangible costs and benefits, social capital and trust, the behavioural drivers of economic outcomes, and social policy more generally.

He led the development of the first international guidelines on the measurement of subjective wellbeing (2013) and trust (2017) as well as the OECD's first well-being themed country report. Conal has worked on the policy applications of well-being measures in New Zealand, the OECD, and the developing world. Between 2008 and 2010 Conal managed the social statistics programme at Statistics New Zealand and was responsible for the New Zealand General Social Survey as well as the development of Te Kupenga and the New Zealand Disability Survey.

Conal is currently a member of the World Wellbeing Panel and has worked as a senior economist at the OECD as well as in managerial and senior policy roles in a range of different New Zealand government agencies.

Pacific Peoples in Community Housing: Governance and Workforce

The Community Housing Providers as a group, is the second largest landlord for Pacific families, after Kainga Ora. This session will provide culturally appropriate information that will help improve your engagement with Pacific people. You will learn about a well-researched tool for community organisation governance. You will be also hearing from a mainstream community housing provider taking on a Pacific specific approach for better services to Pacific peoples in Aotearoa.

Facilitated by: Judy Matai'a, Vision West and Sulutumu Vailoa Milo-Harris, Emerge Aotearoa

Judy Matai’a is Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga’s Director of Housing and Pasefika Development. Judy holds a master’s degree in social work, a Master of Business Administration (Hons) from Massey University, and an undergraduate degree from the University of Auckland. She has also completed the Global Women’s Breakthrough Leadership programme.

Judy has a strong commitment to social change and community development, through a Collective Impact approach. Judy was the Author of the research report on Pacific Peoples Participation in Governance in Aotearoa: ‘O le Ala i le Pule o le Tautua’ that was released in 2022. Judy of Samoan descent and her and husband Steve serve as church ministers in West Auckland.

Sulutumu Vailoa Milo-Harris is a dedicated advocate for community wellbeing, bringing passion and purpose to roles that enable meaningful change for the collective good. With a wealth of leadership experience spanning government, philanthropy, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector, she has consistently championed equity and social justice.

A servant leader at heart, Sulutumu is deeply committed to fostering Pasifika leadership and creating pathways for growth in spaces where Pasifika voices are often underrepresented. She currently serves as the Group Director of Pasifika Responsiveness at Ka Puta Ka Ora Emerge Aotearoa, a role she considers a privilege and a calling. Her work is centered on the organisation’s pou of ‘Thriving Pacific Peoples,’ a responsibility she approaches with humility and respect, guided by the Samoan proverb ‘O le Tautai Matapalapala’.

Proudly rooted in her Samoan heritage, Sulutumu hails from the villages of Solosolo, Luatuanu’u, Vailoa Aleipata, and Leone, Amerika Samoa, which deeply inform her values and approach to leadership. She has contributed to numerous Pacific advisory and leadership initiatives across various sectors, driving impactful change at every level.

With an MBA from Southern Cross University and membership in the Institute of Directors, Sulutumu combines academic excellence with practical leadership. Her unwavering passion for social justice, equity, and service underpins her work, which she views as a calling to uplift and empower Pasifika communities with dignity and integrity.

Partnering for better outcomes: Bringing health services to people’s homes in south Auckland

The partnership between LinkPeople and Te Iti Pounamu Hauora to provide rough sleepers and people who have experienced homelessness with mobile healthcare in south Auckland.

Facilitated by: Tom Caukwell, Dr Juliet Tay & Beccy Fenn

Regional Manager for LinkPeople in south Auckland, Tom Caukwell has extensive experience working in the mental health and social housing. He has be part of the delivery of Housing First in south Auckland since 2017. With a passion for people and influencing positive systems change, Tom leads a team of around 40 people, who manage 300 properties, and deliver a range of programmes from mental health housing to Housing First.

Beccy qualified as a Nurse Practitioner in 2020 after many years working in Emergency Nursing. In 2022 Beccy was given the opportunity to work alongside Juliet Tay on the Te Iti Pounamu Hauora Mobile Health Clinic delivering health care to the community. Beccy is married and has two beautiful daughters

Juliet is a Practice Partner of Greenstone Family Clinic, a Manurewa practice which reflects her own personal ethos of delivering quality, holistic health services in a culturally appropriate environment. She has been a GP in Manurewa for the past 16 years. In conjunction with her practice, she is involved in the teaching of medical students within Greenstone clinic. Since 2022 Juliet has been working as a GP on the Te Iti Pounamu Hauora Mobile Health Clinic. She is married and is mum to three amazing children.

Place Based Responses for Housing for Older People

Setting the scene, short presentations followed by facilitated small group work with key questions (to be decided).

Facilitated by: Brian Qiao, Alex Xu, Jill Hawkey, Maxine Stiling; CNSST Foundation, Christchurch Methodist Mission, Haumaru Housing

Jill Hawkey has been the Executive Director of the Christchurch Methodist Mission (CMM) for the past 10 years. During that time, the housing work of CMM has increased significantly and it now provides support to people in emergency housing, transitional housing, long term social and affordable housing, sustaining tenancies and is the lead agency for Housing First in Ōtautahi and Blenheim. For over 40 years, CMM has been operating Wesley Village, a community of affordable and social housing for those aged over 65. More recently, Whare Tiaki, a whare for Kaumātua Māori, has developed as part of the Village.

Maxine Stiling is the Tenancy Quality Manager at Haumaru Housing in New Zealand. Maxine joined Haumaru in 2020 bringing her Registered nurse and Law experience plus her extensive quality experience to the organisation. In her role, she focuses on enhancing the living experiences of tenants and the importance of communal spaces and fostering supportive communities for the tenants within the 62 Villages managed by Haumaru.

Maxine is also presently Co-chair of Age friendly Auckland, focussing on ensuring the needs of older Aucklanders are recognised in Tāmaki Makaurau. Tāmaki Makaurau Tauawhi Kaumātua (the Age-friendly Auckland Action Plan) was created to respond to the needs of our growing, and increasingly diverse, older Aucklanders. Maxine recently presented at a sustainable housing conference, sharing insights on tenants’ experiences who lived within multi-storey apartment buildings.

Brian Qiao is a dedicated professional with a robust background in social housing management, social work and community education. In the past 11 years, he has been an integral part of the CNSST Foundation, where he currently serves as the Manager of the Community Housing Development team. In this role, Brian has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a deep commitment to improving community housing solutions.

Throughout his career, Brian has extensive experience working with diverse groups, including seniors and children. His work is characterized by a compassionate approach and a strong focus on creating supportive and inclusive environments for tenants and families.

Alex Xu is a dedicated Housing Coordinator at CNSST Foundation, bringing qualifications in Business Management and extensive experience across health and safety, employment, settlement support, and community cultural education. Since joining CNSST Foundation in 2017, Alex has been committed to promoting safe, inclusive, and supportive housing solutions. His diverse skill set and background enable him to effectively engage with and support the unique needs of tenant communities, fostering an environment where residents feel connected and empowered.

We know our work is awesome - how do we prove it?

This session will explore the importance of data informed decision making and how it can support organisations to better measure and demonstrate impact, success and change.

Facilitated by: Natalia Cleland, DCM & Tracey Moore, CORT

Natalia Cleland is a Kaiarataki (Senior Leader) at DCM (Downtown Community Ministry) in Wellington. Natalia is a recognised leader in Wellington’s homelessness sector, celebrated for her pioneering leadership in developing one of the country’s first structured homelessness outreach approaches. With extensive experience, she has a deep understanding of homelessness dynamics and service delivery, focusing on an outreach model that promotes dignity, connection, and sustainable support. Known for her innovative, forward-thinking strategies, Natalia has shaped best practices in outreach and advocates tirelessly for policies that expand housing access and strengthen wrap-around services. Her commitment to collaborative advocacy positions her as a key voice in pushing for systemic changes to address root causes of housing instability. Her passion lies in strengthening the capability of frontline workers, teams, and organisations to deliver effective services.

Tracey joined CORT in 2022, attracted by its Vision and Mission, because she knows that having a good home is essential for people to thrive in all aspects of their life. Tracey has a wealth of experience working in social housing and local government in the UK and Aotearoa New Zealand and has a MSc in Housing from Middlesex University. Her work is driven by the understanding that empowered and well-supported people are fundamental to the success of an organisation.

Working Together - Employment Support in Housing Services

Employment and housing both have significant impact on people’s wellbeing. Often employment support and housing support are viewed separately. We have seen that by combining services for people for easy access, people have wider outcomes in all domains.

Facilitated by: Tyron Pini, Workwise

Tyron grew up and lived in London with parents of Italian and Eastern European descent. In the UK he began his career in the NGO / disability sector after training as a Community Social Worker. He worked in employment, career development and educational projects for people with personal and health challenges. Tyron has always had a focus on social justice and ensuring people had access to opportunities to be fully involved in their lives and the communities in which they live. He moved to Waikato 22 years ago, initially working with an organisation based in Te Awamutu.

Currently he is the General Manager for Workwise, a specialist service focused on supporting people with personal and health challenges return to work. He works across the Waikato and Auckland regions supporting teams of employment consultants, managing contract relationships and developing awareness of mental health at work. These contracts have involved integrating employment consultants into clinical mental health teams, corrections and probation sites, Work and Income, primary care and housing providers. In 2020 Tyron did a six-month secondment to Regional Manager for LinkPeople in the Waikato.

Workwise is part of the Wise Group, one of New Zealand’s largest non-government, not for profit providers of mental health and addiction services.