National Launch of Doors to Dignity Campaign

The Christchurch Methodist Mission (CMM) has held the national launch of the Doors to Dignity campaign this week in the Parliament House Grand Hall. 

Doors to Dignity is a bold initiative advocating for cross-party support for government investment in safe, affordable, and secure housing for older people across Aotearoa New Zealand.

 The event on 24 March 2026 was co-hosted by: 

• Hon. Chris Bishop MP (Minister of Housing)

• Hon. Casey Costello MP (Minister for Seniors)

• Hon. Kieran McAnulty MP (Labour Party Spokesperson for Housing)

• Tamatha Paul MP (Green Party Spokesperson for Housing)

For CMM Executive Director Jill Hawkey, the launch arrives amid a rapidly worsening housing situation among older people, especially those aged 65 and over who are renters.

“The housing situation for older New Zealanders has deteriorated significantly over the past five years,” says Hawkey. “There’s been a 90% increase in older people on the Ministry of Social Development’s Housing Register since 2020, and two out of every three renters aged 65 to 74 spend 40% or more of their income on rent.”

By 2048, 40% of New Zealanders aged 65 and over will be renters. The primary income for the majority of older renters is their NZ Superannuation. But finding a home that is affordable on superannuation has become almost impossible.

“CMM is calling for immediate action from central and local Government to ensure older people can age in place with dignity, safety, and cultural connection. The current challenge of older person’s housing is urgent. Without intervention, it will become a full-blown crisis. Now is the time to act with foresight, compassion and courage.”

The launch includes a display of documentary photographer David Cook’s Listen Up! Seniors Take a Stand on Housing — Whakarongo Mai! E tū tohe ana ngā kaumātua mō ngā take whare exhibition and graphic novel, a moving showcase of lived experiences from older renters navigating housing insecurity. CMM’s Doors to Dignity Report will also be presented to attendees.

National Forum members attended the campaign launch. Pictured above are (left) The Selwyn Foundation Chief Executive Denise Cosgrove and Christchurch Methodist Mission’s Executive Director Jill Hawkey. 

Explore the Listen Up! campaign resources

Listen Up! Graphic Novel

Stories of housing insecurity and hope

This powerful graphic novel brings together the voices of 24 seniors and kaumātua who shared their personal experiences of housing stress, insecurity, and resilience. Created alongside the Listen Up! exhibition, it uses visual storytelling to make complex housing challenges tangible and accessible, helping readers connect with the real people behind the statistics.

Download novel

Listen Up! Exhibition

Seniors take a stand on housing

The Listen Up! Seniors Take a Stand on Housing / Whakarongo Mai! exhibition is the centrepiece of the national Doors to Dignity campaign launch. First unveiled at Parliament and then opened to the public, the exhibition combines photography and storytelling to spotlight the urgent housing challenges facing older people—and to call for cross‑party action to address them.

Exhibition info

Listen Up! Participant Stories

Short videos sharing lived experience

These short video stories feature Listen Up! participants speaking in their own words about life after overcoming housing challenges. Honest, reflective, and deeply personal, the videos put real faces and voices to the issues behind the Doors to Dignity campaign—showing why safe, secure housing is foundational to dignity, wellbeing, and connection as people age.

Watch videos