Reports

This is our 18th State of the Nation report, and it is therefore timely to remind ourselves of their purpose. These reports focus on the heart of any society—people—he tangata, he tangata, he tangata. When all people have what they require to meet essential needs, fulfil their potential and contribute,...

Rental housing is the true frontline of the chronic housing crisis in this country. Rental affordability is one of the most critical factors determining the level of hardship experienced by people on lower incomes. This country has seen a worsening of rental affordability in recent years, at the same time...

The State of Pacific Peoples report provides a 10-year update on Pacific communities in New Zealand, building on previous reports More Than Churches, Rugby, and Festivals (2013) and This Is Home (2014). It highlights the significant contributions Pacific peoples make to New Zealand, while addressing ongoing disparities across five key areas: Children and Young People, Work...

The theme of this year’s report is ‘Ngā Tukunga Iho’—translated ‘The Things We Inherit’. Aotearoa New Zealand now looks back on 2023 as a point of transition. With the recent elections now in our rear-view mirror, we need to take a careful look at where we find ourselves—beyond the emotive...

The State of Our Communities 2023 (SOOC23) marks the sixth such report published by the Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit (SPPU) of The Salvation Army (TSA). The origins of the SOOC23 initiative trace back to community surveys initiated in the early 1900s, where church members conducted comprehensive surveys to identify both social and...

Introduction The history of The Salvation Army is rooted in our mission of caring for people, transforming lives and reforming society by God’s power. Over the years, our commitment to prisoner reintegration has remained steadfast since establishing the Prison Gate Brigade homes in 1883 in New Zealand. We continue to...

Aotearoa continues to be buffeted by the health and economic impacts of a worldwide pandemic that has more recently been exacerbated by the impacts of a war in Ukraine. This year’s report has the theme: Costs… of Living | Nga Rourou Whakaiti. This theme acknowledges the very real pressures that are...

Housing continues to dominate our headlines daily—declining housing market, upcoming housing developments, overcrowding in emergency housing (EH) or efforts to curb the rising cost of rent. All these headlines point to New Zealand’s entrenched housing catastrophe and what seems like a tunnel with no light at the end. In addressing...

State of Our Communities 2022 (SOOC22) is the fifth report released by the Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit (SPPU) of The Salvation Army (TSA). The background of the SOOC22 project is based on community surveys conducted in the early 1900s, when church members carried out surveys to identify various social...

When it comes to alcohol advocacy to reduce alcohol-related harm, members of the public and local community organisations face an uphill battle in guaranteeing their voices, stories and realities (which are all evidence) are properly heard by governing authorities.

Why should The Salvation Army be concerned about what kinds of insurance products people are taking out when buying cars or in other situations? Aren’t these insurance products a good thing for people to have? Or are they another rip-off or scam product sold to consumers, especially poorer New Zealanders...

The housing crisis needs an urgent response: increased housing support for low-income households. In the short term, this means changes to the Accommodation Supplement and other housing supports. This needs to genuinely meet housing costs for those low-income households that have high housing costs relative to incomes, and support a...