Victoria Crockford: Why women’s homelessness is on the rise in New Zealand

In this episode, I talk to Victoria Crockford, Project Director of the Coalition to End Women’s Homelessness, to shine a light on an issue too often hidden from view: the growing housing insecurity faced by women in Aotearoa New Zealand.Victoria brings her wealth of experience across community housing, advocacy, the arts, and climate action to unpack the complex realities behind women’s homelessness.She explains why older women, sole parents, and Māori women are disproportionately affected, and challenges the myths that homelessness is a “choice.”This is not one of the conversations we have had on the podcast yet, and we do talk about the relationship between women's homelessness and domestic & sexual violence. Please listen with care.We speak about:· The 57,000 women in New Zealand currently experiencing homelessness (Census 2023).· Why women’s homelessness often looks different, more hidden, through couch surfing, unsafe housing, or staying in violent relationships.· The link between the motherhood penalty and long-term housing insecurity.· How systemic issues like the gender pay gap and benefit structures keep women in poverty.· Practical actions landlords, policymakers, and communities can take to reduce women’s homelessness.Resources Discussed·https://www.coalitiontoendwomenshomelessness.org/Connect with EmmaThis podcast was funded and created by Emma Mclean, the founder of Works for Everyone.Emma Mclean is a mum of three and founder of Works for Everyone, a professional development business that partners with NZ's leading corporates to help them retain and grow their working parent talent. She does this through innovative leadership programmes, executive coaching and keynote speaking. She founded her business in 2019 following a 20-year career in corporate strategy where she experienced first-hand how hard it was to have a career and a family.As an impatient optimist when it comes to system change, she launched her successful podcast “How to Smash the Motherhood Penalty” in 2023 where she talks to humans who are actively working to change the system that creates financial penalties that only mothers pay. And in 2024 she launched the first NZ Part Time Power List – to shine a light on those senior roles in NZ that are career building, not side stepping." To work with Emma or enquire about speaking – [email protected] www.worksforeveryone.co.nz https://www.instagram.com/worksforeveryone/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-mclean-9176217/