Youth Homelessness
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RNZ : Move-on orders will 'criminalise children experiencing homelessness' - public health experts
Frames youth homelessness as a systemic failure, not a personal or behavioural issue
The article consistently attributes youth homelessness to structural causes such as poverty, family breakdown, and lack of housing access. It contrasts this with the government's emphasis on public order, using data and expert voices to reinforce the structural interpretation.
“Children and young people do not choose to live on the street. Many have left unsafe homes, experienced family breakdown, become too old for state care or have nowhere else to go.”
RNZ : Move-on orders 'shift the problem' as advocates warn of harm to those already struggling
Frames youth homelessness as a systemic failure requiring support, not enforcement
Youth are portrayed as victims of family and structural breakdown, with enforcement depicted as destructive to trust and safety. Advocacy calls for duty-to-assist legislation are highlighted as the preferred solution.
“A 14-year-old usually isn't out on the street through their own choice. They're being impacted by a raft of issues - family violence, housing instability, poverty, breakdowns at home”