Māori elders are experiencing disproportionately high levels of financial hardship, housing insecurity and barriers to health care, according to the latest Older Persons Poverty Monitor.
The report found that older Māori were among those most affected across measures of income, housing and health.
It found that 38.6% of older Māori lived in accommodation they did not own, while 38% had delayed visiting a doctor or dentist because of cost. Nine per cent were experiencing material hardship.
Māori social service providers say the findings reflect what they are seeing in communities, with many kaumātua struggling to meet basic living costs and access essential support.
Te Whānau o Waipareira chief executive John Tamihere said caring for kaumātua should be a priority for iwi across the country.
“We make out in our tikanga that kaumātua are everything. Well, now we have to start, and this is every iwi group and leadership up and down the country, we now have to start putting our money where our mouth is and looking after them.”
Te Whare Ruruhau o Meri, which provides social services to whānau, has also seen the effects of financial hardship on kaumātua.
Chief executive Elizabeth Walker said it was heartbreaking to see kaumātua struggling during a vulnerable stage of their lives.
“To think that here in Aotearoa, we have kaumātua that are living in extreme poverty and hardship, that was deeply confronting for me.”
Housing insecurity a growing concern for kaumātua
Housing security is a growing concern, with the report showing 38.6% of older Māori live in accommodation they do not own.
Te Whānau o Waipareira is working to address the issue by developing an apartment complex for kaumātua Māori.
The complex, which is under construction, will house 92 whānau and include communal areas where kaumātua can live and thrive.
Tamihere said the Māori-focused development would provide a safe environment where culture and values could flourish.
“We have to build papakāinga and new papakāinga in a new era and in a new environment without leaving our culture behind.”
Te Whare Ruruhau o Meri also supports kaumātua experiencing hardship, including through financial assistance.
Walker said the organisation had supported an older couple who rarely used electricity because of wiring problems in their home. The couple faced a $7,000 bill to bring the wiring up to standard and had been relying on neighbours to store food in their freezers and provide firewood during colder months.
The couple faced a $7,000 bill to bring the wiring up to standard. Te Whare Ruruhau o Meri helped reduce the financial burden and improve the couple’s living conditions.
“Every kaumātua deserves to age with dignity and respect despite their circumstances.”
Calls for stronger support for older Māori
Walker said greater government action was needed to address poverty, housing insecurity and barriers to healthcare for kaumātua. She said support needs to be easier to access and available before financial hardship develops into a crisis.
“Government action should reduce barriers and make support easier to access, before hardship becomes a crisis.”
That support should include investment in:
- Secure and affordable housing.
- Accessible healthcare
- Affordable and reliable transport
- Services that work directly with kaumātua and their whānau
For Māori social service providers, the report reinforces the need for practical action to ensure older Māori can age with security and dignity.
