🏡 IMSPARK: Communities That Never Lose Their Home🏡

🏡 Imagine... Communities That Never Lose Their Home🏡

💡 Imagined Endstate:

A future where Pacific families are supported before eviction, where homes remain centers of connection and cultural continuity. A future in which housing policy honours kinship, wealth is shared, and no family is cast out.

📚 Source:

Afemata, M. (2025, August 1). Pacific families bear the brunt of public housing evictions. Local Democracy Reporting via TP+. Link

💥 What’s the Big Deal:

In Manurewa Pacific families make up 46 % of Kāinga Ora tenants yet face 75 % of rent-related enforcement. In Porirua they are 46 % of tenants yet receive 62 % of enforcement, including terms to vacate homes. Across both regions 45 eviction notices, 43 tribunal cases and eight terminations were recorded. Among those evicted were six Pacific households. More than 80 people, including twenty children, lost their homes or were affected by enforcement actions⚖️.

This is not just statistics but heartbreak in motion. The loss of a home uproots routines, disrupts learning, and erodes cultural grounding. In Pacific culture a home is more than shelter—it is where identity, values, and belonging grow 🏠.

The system is broken in spirit. Shame stops families asking for help. Language, rising costs, and cultural commitments complicate access to support. At the same time the government’s directive for Kāinga Ora to act tougher on rent arrears has only deepened these injustices📜.

Housing is not separate from justice. It is the foundation of wellbeing, belonging and dignity. Home should be the place where children are raised, stories are shared, and ancestors are honoured🏝️. What Pacific families need is culture-centred supports that keep them grounded—not policies that pull the floor from under their feet.

#PacificHousing, #HousingJustice, #CulturalContinuity, #EvictionInequity, #PacificResilience,#IMSPARK,

💪🏽IMSPARK: Inclusion That Strengthens Us All💪🏽

💪🏽Imagine... Inclusion That Strengthens Us All💪🏽

💡 Imagined Endstate:

A future where the contribution of every immigrant, regardless of status, is recognized, protected, and empowered. A nation where unauthorized residents are welcomed into economic and civic life, turning systemic exclusion into collective strength.

📚 Source:

Costa, D., Bivens, J., & Morrissey, M. (2025, April 15). FAQ: Unauthorized Immigrants and the Economy. Economic Policy Institute. Link

💥 What’s the Big Deal:

Every year millions of unauthorized immigrants pay into systems but cannot access essential protections, from SNAP and non‑emergency healthcare to wage law enforcement and workplace safety ⛔. They contribute billions in taxes ($100 billion across federal, state, and local levels) and Social Security (about $12 billion annually), funds they may never reclaim 📊.

These individuals are integral to the labor market. In 2023, they numbered between 11 to 13+ million people, making up around 27 % of immigrants and nearly 5 % of the U.S. workforce👷🏽. Yet they are routinely excluded from safety nets, increasing vulnerability and suppressing labor standards. A startling 37 % of unauthorized workers are victims of minimum wage theft, and nearly 85 % never received overtime compensation they earned.

This is more than a problem of policy; it's a societal rift. Arbitrary exclusion chips away at labor rights, wages, and unity,  especially in island communities where labor networks and families are often interconnected across borders. Regularizing status would not only restore rights for millions but also raise wages, strengthen organizing, and bolster the well‑being of entire communities 🤝. In other words, inclusion isn’t just humane; it’s essential.

#ImmigrationJustice, #LaborEquity, #EPI, #InclusiveEconomy, #PacificSolidarity,#ImmigrationReform,#IMSPARK,